Iran is engaging in crucial nuclear program negotiations with the United Kingdom, France, and Germany in Rome in May 2025. This meeting, confirmed by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, aims to address strained relations amid ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington.
The meeting with the European trio (E3), a signatory to the 2015 nuclear agreement, precedes the fourth round of Iran-U.S. bilateral negotiations, also planned in Italy. Political directors of the E3 confirmed their meeting with the Iranian delegation, signaling a concerted effort to find common ground.
These discussions occur against a backdrop of escalating tensions. France has indicated it might reimpose international sanctions if negotiations fail, a move Iran has criticized. Simultaneously, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed new sanctions on a supplier network in Iran and China, accusing them of procuring ballistic missile components for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Araghchi has stated that such actions during the negotiations send "the wrong message."