ISTANBUL 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that the nuclear talks with the UK, France, and Germany will be held in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul on Friday.

"The next round, at the level of deputy foreign ministers, I think, is scheduled to be held in Istanbul on Friday," Araghchi told reporters in Tehran after a Cabinet meeting, according to IRNA News Agency.

Iran and the European troika have been holding a round of talks amid escalating tensions over the country’s nuclear program.

Tehran has vowed to reopen channels of communication with the West and to have sanctions eased.