UK and EU to hold talks with Iran in efforts to de-escalate conflict
The foreign secretary David Lammy will travel to Geneva on Friday to meet with the Iranian foreign minister and his counterparts from France, Germany and the EU, in an effort to reach a diplomatic solution to the Israel-Iran conflict.
The meeting with Abbas Araghchi comes after US Donald Trump said he would make a decision on US military action in Tehran 'within the next two weeks'.
It also follows Lammy's visit to Washington, where he met US secretary of state Marco Rubio in the White House on Thursday evening to discuss 'how a deal could avoid a deepening conflict'.
Lammy is expected to reiterate the UK's concerns about Iran's nuclear programme, and to press for a diplomatic solution to resolve the issue long term.
In a statement ahead of the meeting, he said: 'The situation in the Middle East remains perilous. We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.' Foreign Secretary David Lammy will travel to Geneva on Friday for talks with his Iranian counterpart. / Credit: PA
Adding that a 'window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution', Lammy said: 'Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one.'
The Israeli military also released video on Friday that it said showed strikes on air defence systems and missiles launchers in Iran.
The army said in a statement that the air force struck 'three ready-to-launch missile launchers aimed at Israeli territory.'
In a second statement, the military added that the air force destroyed 'Iranian missile systems and radar installations in the areas of Isfahan and Tehran, which were intended to target IDF aircraft and disrupt their operations.'
Israeli airstrikes reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early on Friday, Iranian media reported. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. / Credit: AP
The Israeli military had warned the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, southwest of the city's downtown.
However, with Iran's internet shut off for a second day, it's unclear how many people could see the message.
In Israel, the paramedic service Magen David Adom said missiles struck a residential area in southern Israel, causing damage to buildings, including one six-storey building.
They have provided medical treatment to five people with minor injuries such as bruises, smoke inhalation, and anxiety, it said.
This comes a day after at least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded in a strike on the Soroka Medical Centre, in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.
Since the conflict erupted last week, at least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Meanwhile, at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had urged the US to step back from military action, saying there was a 'real risk of escalation'.
It is unclear whether the UK would join any military action, although there has been speculation that US involvement could require using the British-controlled base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands.
The B-2 stealth bombers based there are capable of carrying specialised 'bunker buster' bombs which could be used against Iran's underground nuclear facility at Fordo.
Attorney General Lord Hermer is reported to have raised legal concerns about any British involvement in the conflict beyond defending its allies, which could limit the extent of any support for the US if Trump decides to act militarily.
If you are a UK citizen currently in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories, let the Foreign Office know here.
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