UK, EU Leaders Hold Talks With Iran After Trump Stalls Decision for ‘2 Weeks’
(Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street)
British and European foreign ministers will meet their Iranian counterpart in Geneva on Friday for talks aimed at defusing the spiraling conflict between Israel and Iran as President Donald Trump stalls his decision on intervention for “two weeks.”
The diplomatic vacuum left by Washington’s indecision propelled the UK, France, Germany, and the European Union into the role of lead mediators.
“We will meet with the European delegation in Geneva on Friday,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed via state media.
The summit, convened at Iran’s suggestion, marks the first direct diplomatic engagement since Israel launched a surprise assault on Iranian nuclear and military facilities last week, triggering days of retaliatory strikes.
European ministers are pitching what French President Emmanuel Macron has described as a potential “negotiated solution” to the crisis. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas are all expected to attend.
Lammy, speaking from Washington after meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, said: “We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution.”
The move comes as Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that he would delay a decision on military action against Tehran and would make up his mind “within two weeks.”
Iran abruptly paused nuclear talks with the U.S. following Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, which killed several top Iranian nuclear scientists and generals just days before the sit-down was meant to occur. At least 639 people have reportedly been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians, with 24 reported dead in Israel.
