The European Union has expressed its readiness to assist in reviving negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme, following recent US and Israeli military strikes on Iranian facilities.
In a statement posted on X after a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said talks on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions “should restart as soon as possible”. She also called for renewed cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), adding that the EU is “ready to facilitate this” process.
Kallas cautioned Iran against making threats to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), warning that such actions would only escalate tensions further.
The conversation followed comments from Araghchi ruling out a swift return to talks with Washington. He insisted that Tehran would first need firm guarantees it would not be subjected to further attacks.
Negotiations between the US and Iran had been ongoing when Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities. The United States later joined the offensive, targeting three key nuclear sites — Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan — on June 21.
The EU has consistently positioned itself as a mediator in the long-running nuclear dispute. The bloc was a signatory and coordinator of the landmark 2015 agreement between Iran and major world powers, aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. That deal was unilaterally abandoned by US President Donald Trump in 2018, leading to renewed tensions.
