The last August, a deadline set by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany expires. If no agreement is reached by then, they threaten to reintroduce the UN sanctions against Iran that were lifted in connection with the previous nuclear energy agreement, JCPOA, 2015.
Iran "negotiates with all its might" to avoid further sanctions, says the Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei ahead of the meeting.
Tuesday's Geneva meeting takes place in the light of growing European and American concern over Iran's nuclear energy program – not least since Tehran cut ties with the UN's atomic energy agency (IAEA) after the twelve-day war between Iran and Israel in June.
The interruption means that the outside world has almost no insight into Iran's uranium enrichment. Before the war, the IAEA estimated that Iran has around 400 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent. For the uranium to be used in weapons, it needs to reach an enrichment level of 90 percent, which is only a few technical steps away.
Iran has, however, repeatedly claimed that it does not intend to develop nuclear weapons.
The parties last met in Turkish Istanbul a month ago. The talks were then described by Iran's envoy as "serious, open, and detailed". Relief from the sanctions was said to have been discussed and both sides agreed to continue the talks.
