SpaceWar.com reports: “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 programme 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 emphasised 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 towards a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear programme, the progress of which is extremely problematic.’

The talks come as Iran’s nuclear programme received renewed focus in light of Trump’s imminent return to the White House on January 20…”