Iran says it held ‘frank’ talks with European powers

ISTANBUL: Iranian diplomats said they held “frank and detailed” nuclear talks on Friday with counterparts from Germany, Britain and France, who have threatened to trigger sanctions if Tehran fails to agree a deal on uranium enrichment and cooperation with UN inspectors.

The meeting in Istanbul was the first since Israel launched an attack on Iran last month targeting key nuclear and military sites, sparking a 12-day war and leading Tehran to pull away from working with the UN watchdog.

Israel’s offensive — which killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others and in which residential areas and military sites were struck — also derailed US-Iran nuclear talks that began in April.

Separately, a Russian rocket sent an Iranian communications satellite into orbit on Friday, a launch that highlighted strong ties between the two countries.

• The meeting in Istanbul was the first since Israel launched an attack on Iran last month targeting key nuclear and military sites.