GENEVA: Iran is set to hold nuclear talks with France, Britain and Germany on Monday, just a week before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
They are the second round of talks over Iran’s nuclear program in less than two months, following a discreet meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland, in November between Tehran and the three European powers, known as the E3.
“These are not negotiations,” the German foreign ministry told AFP. Iran has similarly emphasized that the talks are merely “consultations.”
The talks, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, will cover a “wide range of topics,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said during a weekly press briefing.
“The primary objective of these talks is to remove the sanctions” on Iran, he noted, adding that Iran was also “listening to the... topics that the opposite parties want to raise.”
On Thursday, France’s foreign ministry said the meeting was a sign that the E3 countries “are continuing to work toward a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program, the progress of which is extremely problematic.”
The talks come as Iran’s nuclear program received renewed focus in light of Trump’s imminent return to the White House on January 20.
During his first term, Trump had pursued a policy of “maximum pressure,” withdrawing the US from a landmark nuclear deal which imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
Tehran adhered to the deal until Washington’s withdrawal, but then began rolling back its commitments.
Efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear pact have since faltered and European officials have repeatedly expressed frustrations over Tehran’s non-compliance.
’Breaking point’
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said the acceleration of Iran’s nuclear program is “bringing us very close to the breaking point.” Iran later blasted the comments as “baseless” and “deceitful.”
In December, Britain, Germany and France accused Tehran of growing its stockpile of high enriched uranium to “unprecedented levels” without “any credible civilian justification.”
“We reiterate our determination to use all diplomatic tools to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, including using snapback if necessary,” they added.
The snapback mechanism — part of the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)-- allows signatories to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran in cases of the “significant non-performance” of commitments.
The option to trigger the mechanism expires in October this year, adding urgency to the ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear watchdog says Iran has increased its manufacturing of enriched uranium such that it is the only non-nuclear weapons state to possess uranium enriched to 60 percent.
That level is well on the way to the 90 percent required for an atomic bomb.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons.
It has also repeatedly expressed willingness to revive the deal.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office in July, has favored reviving that agreement and called for ending his country’s isolation.
In a recent interview with China’s CCTV, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also expressed willingness “to engage in constructive negotiations.”
“The formula that we believe in is the same as the previous JCPOA formula, namely, building trust on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions,” he added.

PRAYAGRAJ, India: Tens of thousands of Hindus seeking absolution of their sins immersed themselves on Monday in freezing waters at the confluence of sacred rivers, as India began a six-week festival expected to draw the world’s largest gathering of humanity.
Held every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh Mela or Great Pitcher Festival, as the religious event in the city of Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh is called, attracts more than 400 million visitors, both Indians and tourists.
As many as 40,000 police officers are on guard to provide security and help manage the crowds, while surveillance cameras equipped with artificial intelligence AI capabilities will ensure continuous monitoring.
“It is our festival,” said ascetic Hazari Lala Mishra, who immersed himself before sunrise, which is considered an auspicious time. “(It is) the only festival for hermits and monks, and we wait for it desperately.”
Authorities expect Monday’s first ritual dip to draw more than 2.5 million visitors, followed by a “royal bath” on Tuesday reserved for ascetics, in the belief that it absolves them of sin and confers salvation from the cycle of life and death.
Amid public warnings to walk in lines without halting anywhere, droves of marchers headed for bathing positions to await sunrise at the confluence of the three holy rivers, the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical, invisible Saraswati.
Advancing toward the waters’ edge in the winter morning fog, they chanted invocations such as “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Ganga Maiyya” in praise of the Hindu deities Lord Shiva and Mother Ganga, who personifies India’s holiest river.
“I am excited but now scared because I didn’t expect this crowd,” said Priyanka Rajput, a fashion model from Delhi, the capital, who accompanied her mother. “This is my first Kumbh and I came here only because my mother is very spiritual.”
The Kumbh originates in a Hindu tradition that the god Vishnu, known as the Preserver, wrested away from demons a golden pitcher that held the nectar of immortality.
In a 12-day celestial fight for its possession, four drops of the nectar fell to earth, in the cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, where the festival is held every three years in rotation.
The Kumbh held once in 12 years in this cycle has the prefix ‘maha’ (great) as its timing renders it more auspicious and it attracts the largest crowds.
CROWD MANAGEMENT
A showcase mix of religion, spirituality and tourism like no other in India, the event offers a test in crowd management for authorities in the world’s most populous country who must balance arrangements for millions while retaining its sanctity.
A temporary city sprawling over 4,000 hectares (9,990 acres) has sprung up along the river banks with 150,000 tents to house the visitors, and is equipped with 3,000 kitchens, 145,000 restrooms and 99 parking lots.
Authorities are also installing as many as 450,000 new electricity connections, with the Kumbh expected to consume more power than 100,000 urban apartments require in a month.
Indian Railways has added 98 trains to make 3,300 trips carrying festival visitors, in addition to regular services to Prayagraj.
Uttar Pradesh is governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which hopes a successful Kumbh Mela will burnish its efforts to reclaim and glorify India’s religious and cultural symbols.
That has been a plank for the party’s Hindu base promised since Modi swept to power nationwide in 2014.
“The Maha Kumbh embodies India’s timeless spiritual heritage and celebrates faith and harmony,” Modi said in a post on X.