On January 13-14, the Swiss city of Geneva will witness new talks between Iran and France, Germany and the United Kingdom to discuss issues related to the Iranian nuclear program. These talks come a week before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, at a time when Western concerns are rising about the progress of the Iranian nuclear program.

The German Foreign Ministry stressed that these meetings are not "negotiations," while Iran described them as "consultations." For its part, the French Foreign Ministry indicated that these talks aim to "work to find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program, the progress of which is a source of great concern."

In early December, Iran announced the start of operating new centrifuges at the Fordow nuclear facility, which could lead to a significant increase in the production of 60% enriched uranium, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. In contrast, France, Germany and the United Kingdom expressed their “deep concern” and urged Tehran to “immediately stop the nuclear escalation.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the talks would cover a wide range of topics, including regional issues, bilateral relations with the European Union and the nuclear file.

He added that the meetings are a continuation of the previous meetings held last December with the three European countries and the European Union's foreign policy representative.

Rethinking Sanctions French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Iran’s uranium enrichment program was “approaching the point of no return,” urging European partners to consider reimposing sanctions if no progress was made. Iran’s foreign ministry responded by calling on Paris to “review its unconstructive approach.”

"The inaccurate claims by a government that has refused to fulfill its obligations under the nuclear deal and played a major role in enabling Israel to obtain nuclear weapons are misleading," the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman wrote on Twitter.

It is noteworthy that the United States, under the previous Trump administration, withdrew from the Iranian nuclear agreement in 2018, and re-imposed harsh economic sanctions on Tehran as part of the “maximum pressure” policy. These sanctions led to the deterioration of the Iranian economy, as the value of the Iranian rial fell significantly.

The talks are taking place amid rising tensions between Iran and Western countries, as Tehran continues to develop its nuclear program despite international warnings. The main question remains whether these talks will contribute to easing tensions or further complicate the crisis, especially with the approaching inauguration of a new administration in Washington that may reevaluate its policies toward Iran.