Iran, hit with sanctions over its atomic activity, and the European trio known as the E3 had met in January for a second round of talks in less than two months about Tehran's nuclear programme. The previous talks took place late last year in New York.

"I held a new round of constructive talks with E3 Political Directors," Tehran's deputy foreign minister for international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said in a post on X.

Gharibabadi said the sides "exchanged views on nuclear and sanctions lifting issues", adding that "it was agreed to continue talks".

The meeting took place on the sidelines of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's visit to the Swiss city to attend the United Nations' Conference on Disarmament and a meeting of the Human Rights Council.

The talks with the European powers come with Iran's nuclear programme under renewed focus in light of Donald Trump's return to the White House last month.

During his first term as US president, Trump pursued a policy of "maximum pressure" on Tehran, withdrawing the United States from a landmark nuclear deal that imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

Tehran adhered to the 2015 deal for a year after Washington's withdrawal, but then began rolling back its commitments.

Efforts to revive the pact have since faltered and European officials have repeatedly expressed frustrations over Tehran's non-compliance.

Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear watchdog says Iran has increased its manufacturing of enriched uranium such that it is the only non-nuclear weapons state to possess uranium enriched to 60 percent.

That level is well on the way to the 90 percent required for an atomic bomb.

ap/sbr/ami/smw

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