ISTANBUL — Delegations from Iran and the European trio of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3) reconvened in Istanbul on Friday for a second round of nuclear negotiations aimed at reviving stalled diplomatic efforts surrounding Tehran’s atomic program.

The talks are being held behind closed doors at Iran’s Consulate General in Istanbul, with Iranian Deputy Foreign Ministers Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi representing Tehran in the discussions.

Vehicles carrying the respective delegations were seen arriving at the consulate earlier in the day, signaling the quiet but deliberate restart of talks that had been interrupted by recent regional tensions.

This round follows a May 16 meeting between the E3 and Iranian officials, also in Istanbul, where both sides agreed to maintain communication channels.

The latest meeting was convened at the request of the European signatories to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which has faced persistent challenges since the United States' withdrawal in 2018.

The dialogue is occurring in parallel with indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington, though those have remained on hold since June 13, when Israel launched an airstrike on Iranian territory, prompting a pause in multilateral diplomatic efforts. — Agencies