Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denounced the Munich Security Conference as a “circus,” accusing European powers of being ineffective in reviving nuclear negotiations with the United States. The remarks come as Araghchi prepares to lead a diplomatic delegation to Geneva for a new round of indirect talks with the US.
“Sad to see the usually serious Munich Security Conference turned into the ‘Munich Circus’ when it comes to Iran,” Araghchi wrote on X on Sunday. He criticised the E3 countries – France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – for what he called their “paralysis and irrelevance” in facilitating nuclear talks.
Araghchi noted that Gulf nations, such as Oman and Qatar, have become far more effective intermediaries in negotiations between Iran and the US. The upcoming Geneva talks, scheduled for Tuesday, follow previous rounds in Muscat earlier this month.
Analysts see Araghchi’s statement as signalling a policy shift, with Iran increasingly relying on regional players rather than European mediators. Abas Aslani, a senior research fellow at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies, said: “This nuclear mediation has moved from Europe to the region, and now the heavy lifting in diplomacy is done by regional players.”
Despite resumed diplomacy, tensions remain high. The US recently redeployed military assets to the Middle East, while Tehran insists that discussions must exclude its ballistic missile programme and regional armed groups – both considered nonnegotiable.
