The foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany and the European Union’s top diplomat will meet with Iran’s foreign minister in Geneva on Friday to restart talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, officials and diplomats confirmed.
The meeting comes during growing European calls for calm, as Israel continues its unprovoked airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities and Tehran retaliates with missile attacks.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering whether to support Israeli military efforts by launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the upcoming meeting, telling the state-run IRNA news agency, “We will meet with the European delegation in Geneva on Friday.” European officials separately confirmed that French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas will take part.
Lammy, who was in Washington on Thursday for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was expected to discuss the Iran situation with the Americans, according to the State Department.
During his first term, Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal, which had been signed by France, Germany, Britain, the EU, and Iran.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, working in coordination with European capitals, continues to advocate for a diplomatic solution to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that European nations were preparing to propose a negotiated settlement to end the growing conflict between Iran and Israel. He tasked Barrot with developing a diplomatic initiative alongside key international partners.
Barrot has remained in frequent contact with his German and British counterparts since Israel began its intensified airstrikes on Iran last Friday.
Speaking in Paris following crisis discussions on Thursday, Barrot said, “We stand ready to contribute our expertise and experience to these efforts.”
He added that France, Germany, and Britain were prepared to engage in talks with Iran aimed at securing “a durable reduction in Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.”
The French minister also noted Tehran’s apparent readiness to return to discussions, even with the United States, provided a ceasefire can be established.
Israel maintains that its bombing campaign is designed to block Iran from obtaining nuclear arms. Iran, for its part, has been enriching uranium to levels far beyond the 3.67 per cent ceiling set by the 2015 agreement, reaching 60 per cent purity, though still short of the 90 per cent needed for a nuclear weapon.
