The US strikes on nuclear sites in Iran dashed European hopes of playing a driving role in negotiations with Tehran, confirming that their position is limited to that of"junior partners" or "accompanying" the United States.

The foreign ministers of Germany, Britain, and France, along with the European Union's foreign policy chief, held intensive talks with Iran this week, culminating in a meeting on Friday in Geneva with their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.

French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed on Saturday that France will work with its European allies to"accelerate negotiations" on the Iranian nuclear issue in order to "exit the war and avoid greater risks," following a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian.

A few hours later, the United States launched overnight strikes on three sites at the heart of Iran's nuclear program, putting an end to any diplomatic path for the time being.

“The Iranians are using the Europeans to buy time. This is very clear, because the recent negotiations ended in failure, as the Europeans themselves admit,” said David Khelfa, co-founder of the Atlantic Middle East Forum think tank. He continued, “The Europeans’ role will be minimal,” expecting their contribution to be limited to “the role of collaborators, conveying the American position.”

For his part, Clement Therme, an associate researcher at the Sorbonne University's Institute of Iranian Studies, considered that there has been"no fundamental change." He said that since 2008,"Europe has been sidelined on the Iranian nuclear issue since the 'Merkozy' era," the name given to the Franco-German duo formed at that time by Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy in Europe. He continued:"We are in a continuation of that. The Europeans are playing the role of 'junior partner' to the United States."

The same expert explained that "the Europeans are out of the game, quite simply, for a very simple reason: they lack economic sovereignty and apply American laws outside the United States' borders with regard to economic sanctions."

The spokesman considered the alleged role of Europeans, including France, to be primarily a matter of"self-aggrandizing diplomacy."

However, the reality is that the Europeans were the ones who launched the diplomatic process regarding the Iranian nuclear program nearly twenty years ago, and they were at the forefront of it. However, the only remaining card they hold, as European diplomats themselves acknowledge, is the possibility of activating the"trigger mechanism" stipulated in the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, from which US President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018.

This mechanism allows for the reimposition of international sanctions on the Islamic Republic, giving the Europeans a means of pressuring it.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Iran on Sunday to"return to the negotiating table."

Macron also asked his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, to"resume diplomatic talks" in a phone call, according to the Élysée Palace.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot had previously announced that the only sustainable solution to this issue lies through a"negotiated solution," adding in a post on Twitter that France "remains ready to contribute to it with its partners."

Regarding the “trigger mechanism,” David Khalfa believes that if talks resume, the Europeans could threaten new American strikes. The American intervention breaks “a historical taboo and embodies the military option that every American administration has floated, from (President George) W. Bush to Joe Biden, through Barack Obama and Donald Trump.” He noted that the American stick “is no longer purely a tool of psychological warfare.”

A diplomatic source explained that, just as French diplomats had previously warned Tehran of the credibility of an Israeli military attack on Iran, they informed Tehran, as indications mounted earlier this week, that American intervention could not be ruled out. Thus,"the Europeans would be able to leverage the possibility of further American strikes to improve their position vis-à-vis the Iranian regime and urge it to accept their demands," while also edging closer to American demands.

On Friday, Macron raised the possibility of returning to negotiations"on substantive issues, including the nuclear issue, in order to move toward zero enrichment," a key demand of Washington, as the 2015 agreement allowed for 3.67% enrichment.