Iran FM meets European leaders as Trump ‘gives’ window for talks

Iran’s foreign minister was holding talks with top European diplomats in Geneva on Friday about the crisis that centres on concerns about his country’s nuclear programme, a week after the long-simmering dispute erupted into war between Israel and Iran.

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FM Abbas Araghchi arrived at a hotel in the Swiss city for a meeting with his counterparts from France, Germany and the UK and the EU’s foreign policy chief.

Ahead of the meeting, Araghchi said his country had “nothing to discuss” with the United States as long as Israel continued its strikes on Iran, but was open to “dialogue” with others, though not negotiations. The war has seen Israeli airstrikes target Iranian nuclear and military sites and Tehran firing back.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that “a window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution.” He travelled to Geneva after meeting in Washington with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s West Asia envoy, Steve Witkoff.

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 America’s “bunker-buster” bombs.

He said on Wednesday that he’ll decide within two weeks whether the US military will get directly involved given the “substantial chance” for renewed negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the European diplomats would make a “comprehensive” offer of negotiation” to Iran.

Later in the day, Iran said it would continue to defend itself against Israel during a UNSC session as Israel’s UN ambassador vowed that his country would not stop its attacks until Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled.

“We will not stop until Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled, not until its war machine is disarmed, not until our people and yours are safe.”

Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani urged UNSC to take action. “Israel apparently declared that it will continue this strike for as many days as it takes. We are alarmed by credible report that the US... may be joining this war,” he said.