Iran said on Tuesday it would resume negotiations later this month with Britain, Germany and France over its disputed nuclear programme.
The announcement, made by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and carried by the official IRNA news agency, gave no details on the location or likely content of the talks. The EU trio brokered an agreement with Iran last year under which the Islamic Republic agreed to suspend uranium enrichment and to allow snap inspections of its nuclear facilities.
But Iran was angered last month by a tough resolution sponsored by the three European powers which rebuked Tehran for poor cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog. Iran accused the EU trio of reneging on the agreement signed in Tehran last October and announced it would resume the manufacture and Assembly of uranium enrichment centrifuges which can be used to make bomb-grade material.
Tehran strongly denies US accusations that it is using a civilian nuclear programme to hide a covert bid for atomic arms. A French diplomatic source declined to confirm the fresh round of talks with Iran but said ‘‘France continues to remain favourable to dialogue’’ with the Islamic Republic.
A German Foreign Ministry spokesman said Berlin would continue the talks with Iran but declined to give a date or place for any meeting. British officials were not immediately available for comment.