Overview
- E3, EU and Iranian officials are holding intensive talks at the UN General Assembly, with Abbas Araghchi facing a Saturday midnight deadline to avert the restoration of UN sanctions on Sunday.
- The E3 told Tehran they expect concrete steps and set three conditions for any reprieve: resuming talks that include the United States, granting unrestricted IAEA access to nuclear sites, and providing exact information on where enriched material is held.
- Inspections have not fully resumed since June strikes on sensitive facilities, with access still requiring Iran’s Supreme National Security Council approval and authorities citing safety constraints at damaged sites.
- A confidential IAEA assessment reported accelerated production of uranium enriched to 60% prior to the June conflict, heightening concern over Iran’s proximity to weapons‑grade levels.
- Iran’s president Massoud Pezeshkian told the UN his country does not seek nuclear weapons, while Iranian negotiators urged Europeans to act independently of outside influence.