Geneva talks to launch critical two-week diplomatic push on Israel-Iran tensions

LONDON

A high-stakes diplomatic push to defuse tensions between Israel and Iran will begin Friday with a major international meeting in Geneva, as world powers scramble to prevent a broader conflict in the Middle East.

The meeting is expected to launch a two-week window for securing a peaceful resolution to the escalating standoff.

Senior diplomats from the UK, France and Germany will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program and explore possible off-ramps to confrontation.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is also expected to attend.

Israel has targeted Iranian nuclear and military sites and personnel with air attacks since June 13, drawing retaliatory attacks from Iran.

The Geneva meeting comes amid growing concern that the region is on the brink of open conflict. Officials say the talks aim to build diplomatic momentum ahead of next week’s NATO leaders’ summit in The Hague, where broader Middle East security discussions are on the agenda.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy voiced urgency in a post on X: “The situation in the Middle East remains perilous. We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon." Lammy said he "discussed how a deal could avoid a deepening conflict" in the White House with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

"A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution.”

Lammy added that on Friday he "will be heading to Geneva to meet with the Iranian Foreign Minister alongside my French, German and EU counterparts. 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 French Foreign Ministry also confirmed to Anadolu that Barrot along with his counterparts will "call for a return to the diplomatic path and to continue negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program."

The statement said Barrot held a phone conversation with the Rubio, during which they "jointly reiterated the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program."

The NATO summit, scheduled for June 24-25 in The Hague, is expected to draw key figures including US President Donald Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and other alliance leaders.