Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi yesterday was to meet in Geneva with leading European counterparts, who hoped to open a window for a diplomatic solution to the week-old war that has seen Israeli airstrikes target Iranian nuclear and military sites and Tehran firing back.
British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy, who was to meet Araghchi together with his French and German counterparts and the EU’s foreign policy chief, said that “a window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution,” while agreeing with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that “Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.”
The talks would be the first face-to-face meeting between Western and Iranian officials since the start of the conflict.
Photo: AFP
Lammy was traveling to Geneva after meeting in Washington with Rubio and US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
German Minister of Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul said the US was aware and supportive of the meeting taking place in Geneva.
“Iran should be mindful that it needs to show a new level of seriousness and trustworthiness if it wants to avoid a prolongation of the war,” he said.
Photo: REUTERS
French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs spokesman Christophe Lemoine said the diplomatic route would be the only way to ensure Iran respects its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“Military solutions are not long-term solutions,” he told French radio station Cnews.
However, Araghchi said his country has “nothing to discuss” with the US as long as Israel continues its strikes on Iran, but is open to “dialogue” with others, although not negotiations.
Araghchi was also due to address the UN Human Rights Council yesterday, the body’s spokesman said.
Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but the US’ “bunker-buster” bombs.
On Wednesday, he said he would decide within two weeks whether the US military would get directly involved in the war, given the “substantial chance” for renewed negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the European diplomats would make a “comprehensive, diplomatic and technical offer of negotiation” to Iran.
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