Iran confirms fresh nuclear talks with European powers

AFP :

Iran confirmed fresh talks with European powers to be held on Friday in Istanbul, the country’s state media reported, the first since the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago.
Iranian diplomats will meet counterparts from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, after the trio warned that sanctions could be reimposed on Tehran if it does return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme.
Western nations and Israel have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied. “In response to the request of European countries, Iran has agreed to hold a new round of talks,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghai, as quoted by state TV on Monday.
The subject of the talks will be Iran’s nuclear program, it added. A German diplomatic source had told AFP on Sunday the E3 were in contact with Tehran and said “Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon”.
“That is why Germany, France and the United Kingdom are continuing to work intensively in the E3 format to find a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear programme,” the source said.
Israel launched on June 13 a wave of surprise strikes on its regional nemesis, targeting key military and nuclear facilities.The United States launched its own set of strikes against Iran’s nuclear programme on June 22, hitting the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, in Qom province south of Tehran, as well as nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz.