Meeting between top EU diplomats and Iran's FM yields hope of talks
A meeting between top European diplomats and Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, on Friday yielded hopes of further talks but no indication of any immediate or concrete breakthrough, a week after Israel attacked Iran over Tehran's nuclear program, erupting into war between both sides.
Foreign ministers from Britain, France, and Germany and the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, emerged from the talks at a Geneva hotel nearly four hours after Iran's Araghchi arrived for the meeting.
It was the first face-to-face meeting between Western and Iranian officials since the start of the conflict.
In a joint written statement issued after the talks ended, the three European nations and the EU said that they 'discussed avenues towards a negotiated solution to Iran's nuclear programme.'
They reiterated their concerns about the 'expansion' of the nuclear program, adding that it has 'no credible civilian purpose.'
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, 'We agreed that we will discuss nuclear but also broader issues that we have and keep the discussions open."
'The good result today is that we leave the room with the impression that the Iranian side is fundamentally ready to continue talking about all important issues,' German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, adding both sides had held 'very serious talks.'
While France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told reporters, military operations can slow Iran's nuclear program, but in no way can they eliminate it.
'We know well—after having seen what happened in Afghanistan, in Iraq, and in Libya—how illusory and dangerous it is to want to impose regime change from outside.'
Barrot also said that European nations 'invited the Iranian minister to envisage negotiations with all parties, including the United States, and without waiting for the end of the strikes."
However promising, Iran ruled out new nuclear talks until attacks from Israel stop.
According to Araghchi, Iran was ready to consider diplomacy only if Israel's "aggression is stopped." "I make it crystal clear that Iran's defence capabilities are non-negotiable," the Iranian foreign minister stressed after the Geneva talks.
He expressed support for 'a continuation of discussions with the E3 and the EU and expressed his readiness to meet again in the near future.' He also denounced Israel's attacks against nuclear facilities in Iran and expressed 'grave concern' about what he called 'non-condemnation' by European nations.
For his part, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged Tehran to continue its talks with the United States. Lammy said, 'We are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the United States.' He added that 'we were clear: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.'
He added there is 'a window of within two weeks where we can see a diplomatic solution' and urged Iran 'to take that off-ramp.'
Trump delays decision
Meanwhile, it remains unclear how that will happen as US President Donald Trump continues to weigh 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.
Trump said on Wednesday that he'll decide within two weeks whether the US military will get directly involved in the war, given the 'substantial chance' for renewed negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.
Israel says it launched its airstrike campaign to stop Iran from getting closer to being able to build a nuclear weapon.
Iran and the United States had been negotiating over the possibility of a new diplomatic deal over Tehran's programme, though Trump has said Israel's campaign came after a 60-day window he set for the talks.
'We are entitled … to defend our territorial integrity' - Iran
In light of the possibility of US involvement, Iran's supreme leader rejected Trump's calls for surrender Wednesday and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause 'irreparable damage to them.'
Just before meeting the European diplomats on Friday, Foreign Minister Araghchi made a brief appearance before the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, telling the council that Israel's 'attacks on nuclear facilities are grave war crimes'.
Araghchi insisted that Iran is "entitled … and determined to defend our territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and security with all force.'
Tehran has long insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful, though it was the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
The initial 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers was negotiated in large part by the three European nations.
However, Iran has been found wanting in its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, leading to warnings by the EU states to reimpose sanctions that were suspended under the agreement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
Romania's new president nominates centre-right former mayor as PM
Romania's new pro-Western president, Nicusor Dan, on Friday nominated a centre-right former mayor to be prime minister. The nomination comes as Romania, a European Union and NATO member state, seeks to usher in a new government to end a protracted political crisis that has gripped the nation since last year. Dan nominated 56-year-old Ilie Bolojan of the centre-right National Liberal Party, or PNL, after a fresh round of talks Friday following weeks of deliberations. Bolojan had previously served as acting president from February to May, when Dan defeated a hard-right opponent in a heated presidential election rerun. The closely watched vote came months after the previous election was annulled by a top court, which plunged Romania into a deep political crisis. Dan described Bolojan as the 'most suitable person' for the job, which includes tackling a budget crisis. 'It is in Romania's interest for the government to be supported by a solid majority, and the parties have understood this,' he said. 'Romania's urgent priority is economic recovery, but ... you need a solid foundation.' Nomination will need to be approved by lawmakers Bolojan's nomination will need to be approved by parliament, and his government is expected to be comprised of the leftist Social Democratic Party, or PSD, the PNL, the reformist Save Romania Union party, and the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party. The PSD has pushed for a power-sharing agreement that would see a rotation of the prime ministerial post. Responding to his nomination, Bolojan said he's 'fully aware of the great responsibility' the role will bring and acknowledged it 'will not be an easy undertaking.' 'I will continue discussions with political parties to secure a parliamentary majority, finalise the government, and define the governing program,' he said. 'I will pursue three priorities: to restore order to the country's finances, to work toward good governance that creates conditions for development in Romania, and ... to show proper respect to the Romanian people.' Reducing Romania's considerable budget deficit—one of the greatest in the 27-nation EU bloc—will be one of the main challenges facing a new government. Deep social divisions in the nation were also made clear by the controversies that surrounded the presidential election. According to Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, the new government will face the challenge of reaching a longer-term consensus over already delayed state reforms. 'There is only a disputed agreement on very short-term measures for the economic and budget crisis,' he told The Associated Press. 'If the short-term measures come with a social cost, inflation ... (and) will not be met by profound changes in policies and institutions, then the political crisis will loom over the next years and (future) elections.' In the wake of the May presidential election, Bolojan, acting as president, named PNL's Catalin Predoiu to lead the cabinet after Marcel Ciolacu resigned when his coalition's candidate did not advance to the runoff.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Live: Israel strikes missile storage and launch sites in Iran
21/06/2025 - 06:59 22 arrested for links to Israeli spy services since start of conflict Police in Iran's Qom province said Saturday that 22 people "linked to Israeli spy services" had been arrested since June 13, Fars news agency reported. "22 people were identified and arrested on charges of being linked to the Zionist regime's spy services, disturbing public opinion, and supporting the criminal regime," the agency stated, citing the head of police intelligence in Iran's Qom province. 21/06/2025 - 06:58 Diplomatic breakthrough elusive as Israel-Iran war stretches into second week Hours of talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war entered its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met for four hours Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh U.S. military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Brussels, my love? MEPs panic about Middle East escalation
In the hot seat We are joined this week by the Lithuanian MEP Virginijus Sinkevičius from the Greens, Spanish Socialist MEP Hana Jalloul Muro and Italian centre right MEP Herbert Dorfmann from South Tyrol. Middle East escalation - the EU on the side lines? The panel reflect on the ongoing Israel-Iran war that has dominated the news this week. An emergency debate was held in Strasbourg in the presence of EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. She warned MEPs that the US should not get involved in the conflict, as it could drag the entire Middle East into a wider more dangerous predicament. Kaja Kallas also told MEPs this week that the ongoing Israel-Iran war should not overshadow the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. Virginijus Sinkevičius fears the war could drag on. "I see that the situation is not going to be resolved easily, because I think Israel has taken a decision. The big question now is what could be the consequences." As MEPs were gathered in Strasbourg, an EU foreign ministers meeting took place in Brussels this week and 17 of the 27 member states backed a move to review the EU-Israel association agreement—pushing a process that began with the Netherlands, Spain, and Ireland. The deal was sealed in 1995 and came into force in 2000. Herbert Dorfmann said his group is against suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement. "I think this doesn't make sense in this moment. We need to further work on a diplomatic basis," he said. China - a friend or foe for the EU? The panel also discussed the EU China summit that will take place at the end of July. Brussels hopes the occasion will provide better access to Chinese rare earths and critical minerals. All MEPs agreed the EU and China should be friends but that a level playing field was a necessity. "Access to our market is a privilege," Virginijus Sinkevičius said adding that China should play by the same rules. "We need to be intelligent and have leadership," said Hana Jalloul Muro. Banning social media under 15 - A good call? Finally, MEPs chewed over French President Macron's calls to ban social media for under-15's in France. Greece and Spain are also trying to push for more EU action on this topic. However, all three politicians agreed that education was key and an outright ban may not have desired effects. "Well, good luck!! Is it really up to the state to do that?" Herbert Dorfmann quipped. Watch "Brussels, my love?" in the player above.
