Reuters: European Negotiations with Iran on Its Role in the Region Begin

On Thursday, March 1, Reuters reported, citing diplomats, that European powers have begun negotiations with Iran regarding Tehran's role in the Middle East and are set to meet again this month in Italy. Meanwhile, it has been reported that these meetings are in response to concerns raised by Donald Trump regarding the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA. On January 12, Trump stated that this would be the last time he would extend Iran's nuclear sanctions and that he would no longer be willing to extend them, demanding that the 'disastrous' flaws in the nuclear deal with Iran be corrected within 120 days. In response, France, Germany, and the UK, in cooperation with US officials, are working to design a strategy to amend the nuclear agreement with Iran before the next deadline for the suspension of US sanctions against Iran on May 12 of this year. Iran and six world powers, including the US, Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany, reached an agreement in July 2015 to resolve Iran's nuclear program and lift international sanctions against it. Under this agreement, known as the JCPOA, Iran agreed to halt many of its nuclear activities. The report states that alongside these discussions, the three mentioned European countries, along with Italy and the European Union, have initiated talks with Iran to address the concerns of Arab countries and Israel regarding Iran's role in destabilizing the region – in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq. Iran has denied any disruptive role in the region, claiming that it is Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the US that are the sources of tension in the Middle East. The report indicates that the first round of official European talks with Iran took place on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference last month, focusing on the situation in Yemen. Two European diplomats and an Iranian official stated that discussions are set to continue soon in Italy. An unnamed European diplomat told Reuters, 'We raised our expectations from Iran regarding Yemen in Munich. Naturally, the Iranians said it is not their job, but we reached some conclusions that could help us move forward together.' This European official noted, 'The Iranians cooperate very well. However, having a positive meeting does not mean we will see a real impact in the world.' The Islamic Republic of Iran is a key supporter of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Iran also backs Shia militias in Iraq, Houthi militants in Yemen, and Hezbollah in Lebanon. An Iranian official told Reuters that most of the disagreements with the West can be resolved. The West must regain our trust. The nuclear agreement has not yet been fully implemented. How can we be expected to trust them on other issues? European officials have told Reuters that they hope to discuss the role of Iranian-backed militia groups in Lebanon and southern Syria in the next round of talks. This official stated, 'Of course, in public, the Iranians say they are not willing to do so. But we believe there are grounds for progress.' European officials, who are set to meet with US officials on March 15 – two weeks from now – in Berlin, are expected to emphasize to the US that they are working on a strategy regarding Iran – including controlling Iran's ballistic missile program – and in return, they are asking the US not to withdraw from the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA. A French diplomat told Reuters, 'We want to preserve the JCPOA, but we want to tell the Iranians that we have other problems with them. We need to see progress in these areas. Otherwise, due to Trump, the JCPOA will collapse.' Donald Trump has set four conditions for the US to continue its participation in the JCPOA, which include: 'immediate' access for international inspectors to all Iranian sites and facilities, making restrictions on Iran's nuclear program permanent, ensuring that Iran does not approach nuclear weapons, and limiting Iran's long-range missile program; as Trump stated, the long-range missile program and Iran's nuclear weapons program are 'inseparable.' Iranian officials have also stated that they are not willing to negotiate on this matter and will not accept any changes to the JCPOA.