Istanbul: Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, announced that a new round of talks between Tehran and the E3 countries—France, Britain, and Germany—is set to take place in Istanbul, Trkiye, on Friday. The discussions will focus on the removal of sanctions on Iran and issues related to Tehran’s nuclear program, with Iran expected to present its demands seriously. The meeting will occur at the level of deputy foreign ministers and will be attended by the European Union’s deputy foreign policy chief.

According to Nam News Network, Baghaei criticized the three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal for what he described as inappropriate positions and silence regarding Israel’s recent military actions against Iran. He emphasized that these countries should be held accountable for their stance.

Iran initially signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in July 2015 with six countries: Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States. Under this agreement, Tehran committed to limiting its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.