European powers are pushing for eleventh-hour diplomacy with Iran as tensions escalate between Tehran and Tel Aviv and the prospect of U.S. military involvement looms. Foreign ministers from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are scheduled to meet their Iranian counterpart in Geneva on Friday, hoping to avert a wider regional war following a week of escalating missile and drone attacks.
U.S. President Donald Trump has given himself a two-week window to decide whether to assist Israel militarily against Iran. "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks," Trump said, according to a statement read by White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt on Thursday.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, after meeting Thursday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, stated: "A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution."
Iran has shown little interest in dialogue with the U.S. while Israeli attacks continue. "There is no room for negotiations with the U.S. until Israeli aggression stops," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Iranian state TV Friday, according to Reuters.
Araghchi is expected to attend the Geneva talks but made clear on state television that Tehran refuses to engage while under attack. "We do not want to negotiate with anyone while the Zionist regime's aggression continues," he said, accusing the U.S. of complicity based on Trump's recent social media posts.
"The demand for an end to this war has already begun," Araghchi added. "It shows how effective the resistance of the Iranian people has been and will be."
In Paris, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said France remains committed to diplomacy and international law. "France is always on the side of international law," Barrot said on national television, stressing that his country had not taken part in any preventive war. He noted that around 1,000 French nationals are still in Iran.
Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Berlin is willing to engage with Tehran, but only if Iran provides credible assurances regarding its nuclear and missile programs. Those assurances would involve halting uranium enrichment activities that could lead to weaponization and scaling back missile capabilities.
Trump's opposition to Iran's nuclear ambitions has been a central theme throughout his presidency. He withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action during his first term and has since advocated for a tougher deal. Despite attempts to revive negotiations, his administration has yet to reach a new agreement.
Israel and Iran exchanged fresh strikes overnight into Friday. Israel's military reported dozens of Iranian military installations struck around Tehran and western Iran. An Iranian missile hit a residential building in Beersheba, injuring at least five people. That followed an earlier strike on Soroka Medical Center, the region's largest hospital.
According to the Israeli prime minister's office, 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Iranian attacks since the start of hostilities. Iran's Health Ministry reports over 200 killed in Israeli strikes, while the Human Rights Activists News Agency places the death toll at 657 with more than 2,000 injured.
