Latest news with #Europe-Iran
UPI
6 hours ago
- Politics
- UPI
EU; U.K. hold talks with Iran as clock ticks down on Trump deadline
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (C-R) arrives for the Europe-Iran summit in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday morning. Photo by Martial Trezzini/EPA-EFE June 20 (UPI) -- The European Union and Britain met for crisis talks with Iran on Friday to try to determine a way out of the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel over Tehran's nuclear development program. The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Britain and the EU's foreign policy chief sat down with their Iranian counterpart in Geneva with the clock ticking, after President Donald Trump set a 14-day deadline Thursday to him to decide on direct U.S. involvement. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were "aimed at obtaining from Iran a lasting rollback of its nuclear and ballistic missiles programs." British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who flew in overnight from consultations in Washington on Thursday with U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio, said that despite the perilousness of the situation, "we are determined Iran should never have a nuclear weapon." However, he called for all sides to seize the window of opportunity that had opened up. "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," Lammy wrote in a post on X. Trump is considering a plan to join Israeli strikes, which have been underway for seven days, by deploying U.S. bombers to attack underground nuclear facilities using massive bunker-busting guided bombs -- but put the final decision to give diplomacy a chance. "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks," Trump said in a statement. The Geneva summit got underway after another night of back-and-forth attacks between Israel and Iran. Israel Defense Forces said in a update on X that more than 60 of its fighter-jets struck dozens of military targets with more than 100 pieces of ordnance, including missile production facilities in the Tehran area that it described as a "key industrial" hub serving the Iranian Defense Ministry. The IDF also claimed it carried out airstrikes on the Tehran headquarters of defense ministry's research and development program, the SPND agency, which works on leveraging emerging technologies for military applications. Iranian forces struck the southern Israeli city of Beersheeba the second day in a row, injuring seven people and severely damaging buildings after a missile struck a road near high-rise residential blocks, leaving a large crater and setting cars ablaze. The injured were taken to the city's Soroka Hospital, which itself was struck by an Iranian missile on Thursday, injuring 80 people and causing significant damage. The BBC reported blazes near the Microsoft building in Beersheba's Gav-Yam technology park, which Tehran had claimed was the intended target of Thursday's missile strike. An IDF spokesman claimed Iranian forces had planned for Friday's airborne assault on Beersheba to be much larger, but were thwarted after Israeli forces destroyed three missile launchers on the ground in Iran as they were being prepared for use in the attack. Four attack drones launched from Iran were also intercepted overnight, the IDF said. No information was provided on where they were downed or their intended targets.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
7 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Trump's countdown: Will diplomacy trump Israel-Iran war in 2 weeks?
Trump's back-and-forth between threats of military action and openness to diplomacy highlights a deepening rift within his MAGA campaign read more US President Donald Trump arrives to attend the G7 Leaders' Summit at the Rocky Mountain resort town of Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, June 15, 2025. File Image/Reuters In what appears to be a pivot away from immediate escalation, US President Donald Trump has set a two-week deadline to decide whether the United States will join Israel's military campaign against Iran or pursue a diplomatic resolution. Trump giving diplomacy last chance? White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt conveyed Trump's message: 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.' This statement follows Israel's intense strikes on Iran, which began on June 13, targeting nuclear facilities, missile sites, and key military leaders, including top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials. Talks on between US, Iran Washington and Tehran are engaged in both direct and indirect talks, with the US pressing Iran to halt its uranium enrichment programme. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have held multiple phone conversations since Israel's attacks started, marking the most substantive direct dialogue since April 2025 negotiations in Oman and Italy. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to three diplomats cited by Reuters, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, Araqchi insisted that Tehran would not resume negotiations unless Israel ceased its strikes. The discussions also touched on an American proposal from May 2025 to establish a regional consortium for uranium enrichment outside Iran, which Tehran has so far rejected. A regional diplomat close to Tehran noted that Araqchi hinted at potential 'flexibility' on the nuclear issue if Washington could pressure Israel to end the conflict. Europe-Iran talks In parallel, Britain, France, and Germany are stepping up diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation. The three nations are holding high-level talks with Iran in Geneva, the first face-to-face diplomacy with Tehran since Israel's attacks began. The meeting follows Trump's remarks about the possibility of new talks, signalling a coordinated international push. Critical juncture Trump's back-and-forth between threats of military action and openness to diplomacy highlights a deepening rift within his MAGA campaign. The decision carries significant domestic political risk, as deeper US involvement in West Asia may end up alienating key voter bases while escalating tensions could bolster his strongman image. Strategically, the US has heightened its military presence in the region, with 40,000 troops deployed—up from the usual 30,000—and 27 military refuelling aircraft recently moved to Europe, suggesting preparations for potential long-range operations.
