European and Iranian diplomats meet in Istanbul as return of sanctions looms over nuclear deadlock

ISTANBUL (AP) — Talks between Iranian and European diplomats in Istanbul ended Friday with the sides agreeing to meet again to seek to unpick the deadlock over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Representatives from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3 nations, gathered at the Iranian Consulate building for the first talks since Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in June, which involved U.S. bombers striking nuclear-related facilities.

The talks, which ended after four hours, centered on the possibility of reimposing sanctions on Iran that were lifted in 2015 in exchange for Iran accepting restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear program.

Iranian negotiator, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, said that the “serious, frank and detailed” meeting focused on the nuclear issue and the status of sanctions while agreeing to further discussions.

The E3 nations had earlier warned that sanctions could return under a process known as the “snapback” mechanism, which allows one of the Western parties to reimpose U.N. sanctions if Tehran doesn't comply with its requirements.

“Both sides came to the meeting with specific ideas,” Gharibabadi said in a social media post. “It was agreed that consultations on this matter will continue.”

As the talks were ongoing, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said that he hoped that the meeting would see the E3 nations reassess their “previous unconstructive attitude.”

European leaders have said sanctions will resume by the end of August, if there is no progress on containing Iran’s nuclear program.

The snapback mechanism “remains on the table," a European diplomat said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks,

“A possible delay in triggering snapback has been floated to the Iranians on the condition that there is credible diplomatic engagement by Iran, that they resume full cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), and that they address concerns about their highly-enriched uranium stockpile,” the diplomat said prior to Friday’s negotiations.

Tehran, meanwhile, has said that Washington, which withdrew from the 2015 deal during the first term of U.S. President Donald Trump, needs to rebuild faith in its role in negotiations.

Gharibabadi previously said that Iran’s engagement was dependent on “several key principles” that included “rebuilding Iran’s trust — as Iran has absolutely no trust in the United States.”

In a social media post on Thursday, he also said that the talks shouldn’t be used “as a platform for hidden agendas such as military action.” Gharibabadi insisted that Iran’s right to enrich uranium “in line with its legitimate needs” be respected, and sanctions removed.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to leave the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which commits it to refrain from developing nuclear weapons, if sanctions return.

Friday’s talks were held at the deputy ministerial level, with Iran sending Gharibabadi and a fellow deputy foreign minister, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi. A similar meeting was held in Istanbul in May. The identity of the E3 representatives weren't immediately clear, but the European Union’s deputy foreign policy commissioner was thought to be attending.

The U.K., France and Germany were signatories to the 2015 deal, alongside the U.S., Russia and China. When Washington withdrew in 2018, Trump insisted the agreement wasn’t tough enough. Under the original deal, neither Russia nor China can veto reimposed sanctions.

Since the Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran, which saw American B-52 bombers hit three nuclear sites, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the E3 of hypocrisy, saying that they failed to uphold their obligations while supporting Israel’s attacks.

Against the backdrop of the conflict, in which Iran responded with missile attacks on Israel and a strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, the road ahead remains uncertain.

While European officials have said they want to avoid further conflict and are open to a negotiated solution, they have warned that time is running out.

Tehran maintains that it's open to diplomacy, though it recently suspended cooperation with the IAEA.

A central concern for Western powers was highlighted when the IAEA reported in May that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% — just below weapons-grade level — had grown to more than 400 kilograms (nearly 900 pounds).

In an interview with Al Jazeera that aired Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran is prepared for another war and reiterated that its nuclear program will continue within the framework of international law, while adding that the country had no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi, meanwhile, said that no date had been set yet to restart inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Speaking during a visit to Singapore on Friday, he warned that if inspectors “do not return soon, there will be a serious problem, because this is an international obligation of Iran.”

While he was “encouraged” by Tehran’s readiness to engage with the IAEA, Grossi said that the sides needed “to move from words to the reality.”

Stephanie Liechtenstein reported from Vienna. Nasser Karimi and Amir Vahdat contributed to this report from Tehran, Iran.

A policeman stands guard outside of the Iranian consulate as European and Iranian diplomats meet for talks over Tehran's nuclear program, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Journalists wait outside of the Iranian consulate, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 25, 2025, ahead of a meeting between European and Iranian diplomats for talks over Tehran's nuclear program. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Cars, which are believed to carry European diplomats, enter the Iranian consulate ahead of a meeting with Iranian counterparts for talks over Tehran's nuclear program, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A van, which is believed to carry European diplomats, enters the Iranian consulate ahead of a meeting with Iranian counterparts for talks over Tehran's nuclear program, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

FILE - Ian's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Kazem Gharibabadi, waits for the start of the IAEA board of governors meeting at the International Center in Vienna, Austria, Nov. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak, File)

The White House and a bipartisan group of governors are pressuring the operator of the mid-Atlantic power grid to take urgent steps to boost energy supply and curb price hikes, holding a Friday event aimed at addressing a rising concern among voters about the enormous amount of power used for artificial intelligence ahead of elections later this year.

The White House said its National Energy Dominance Council and the governors of several states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia, want to try to compel PJM Interconnection to hold a power auction for tech companies to bid on contracts to build new power plants,

The Trump administration and governors will sign a statement of principles toward that end Friday. The plan was first reported by Bloomberg.

“Ensuring the American people have reliable and affordable electricity is one of President Trump’s top priorities, and this would deliver much-needed, long-term relief to the mid-Atlantic region," said Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to be at the White House, a person familiar with Shapiro’s plans said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement. Shapiro, a Democrat, made his participation in Friday’s event contingent on including a provision to extend a limit on wholesale electricity price increases for the region’s consumers, the person said.

But the operator of the grid won't be there. “PJM was not invited. Therefore we would not attend,” said spokesperson Jeff Shields.

It was not immediately clear whether President Donald Trump would attend the event, which was not listed on his public schedule.

Trump and the governors are under pressure to insulate consumers and businesses alike from the costs of feeding Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers. Meanwhile, more Americans are falling behind on their electricity bills.

Consumer advocates say ratepayers in the mid-Atlantic electricity grid — which encompasses all or parts of 13 states stretching from New Jersey to Illinois, as well as Washington, D.C. — are already paying billions of dollars in higher bills to underwrite the cost to supply power to data centers, some of them built, some not.

However, they also say that the billions of dollars that consumers are paying isn’t resulting in the construction of new power plants necessary to meet the rising demand.

Pivotal contests in November will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill for the data centers that underpin the explosion in demand for artificial intelligence. In parts of the country, data centers are coming online faster than power plants can be built and connected to the grid.

Electricity costs were a key issue in last year's elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, a data center hotspot, and in Georgia, where Democrats ousted two Republican incumbents for seats on the state’s utility regulatory commission. Voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City all cited economic concerns as the top issue, as Democrats and Republicans gird for a debate over affordability in the intensifying midterm battle to control Congress.

Gas and electric utilities sought or won rate increases of more that $34 billion in the first three quarters of 2025, consumer advocacy organization PowerLines reported. That was more than double the same period a year earlier.

Meta's Stanton Springs Data Center is seen Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Newton County, East of Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)