EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, met on Thursday in Doha with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in an effort to reach a “negotiated solution” to Iran’s nuclear program, as the deadline approaches for reimposing sanctions on the Islamic Republic, Brussels announced.

This meeting follows France, the UK, and Germany activating the so-called “trigger mechanism” at the end of August, which allows the reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), noting that the possibility to reactivate sanctions ends in October.

Kallas said at the time that the 30-day period before sanctions come into effect provides a “window” for diplomacy.

An EU official, speaking anonymously, said, “Kallas met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Doha on Thursday to discuss efforts to reach a negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.”

He added, “The talks focused on several topics including the access of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to Iranian nuclear facilities and the fate of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.”

France, the UK, and Germany announced their readiness to delay reimposing UN sanctions on Iran if concerns about its nuclear program are addressed within the next month, but Tehran denounced the offer as insincere.

The nuclear deal was reached in 2015 during former US President Barack Obama’s administration, stipulating sanctions relief for Iran in exchange for strict limits on its nuclear activities.

However, his successor Donald Trump effectively ended the deal during his first term when the US unilaterally withdrew and reimposed severe American sanctions targeting countries buying Iranian oil.

Western countries accuse Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, which Tehran denies, asserting its right to a nuclear program for peaceful purposes.