TEHERAN - Nuclear talks between Iran and the three European countries of France, Britain and Germany, collectively known as the E3, began in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Friday morning, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

The Iranian delegation is headed by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi.  

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Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told the official news agency IRNA that the talks would be an opportunity for the three European countries to rectify their attitude towards Iran and test their approach to the country's nuclear program.

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Speaking previously at a weekly press conference, Baghaei said the talks would focus on the removal of sanctions and issues related to Teheran's "peaceful" nuclear program, noting that Iran would present its demands seriously at the upcoming meeting.

Since September last year, Iran and the E3 have held six rounds of talks on a range of issues, including Teheran's nuclear program and the removal of sanctions. The latest round took place in Istanbul in mid-May.