The E3 – Germany, France and Britain – plus EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell urged Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to reopen nuclear negotiations that stalled when Israel began bombing Iran on 12 June.
Araghchi repeated that Iran would only resume diplomacy once the attacks stop and Israel is held accountable, stressing that “defense capabilities are not negotiable.”
French minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Araqchi “expressed willingness to continue discussions on the nuclear program and more broadly on all issues,” but set no date for follow-up meetings.
Two EU diplomats acknowledged the slim chances of an immediate ceasefire and floated a parallel track that could start without the United States, combining tighter inspections with limited civilian enrichment rights.
Washington wants Iran to halt enrichment entirely; the E3 had previously accepted low-grade civilian output.
President Donald Trump says he will decide within two weeks whether the United States will join Israel’s campaign to “smash” Iran’s nuclear capacity. CNN quoted a U.S. official saying Trump still backs allied diplomacy that could steer Tehran toward a deal.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday aligned more closely with the U.S., insisting any new accord must aim for zero enrichment. An Iranian negotiator told Reuters that Tehran might accept caps, but abandoning enrichment altogether was off the table.
Britain’s David Lammy called the moment “perilous,” warning that wider regional escalation would serve neither side. European ministers relayed to Araghchi that Washington remains open to direct contact if Iran signals seriousness, though diplomats did not specify what gesture would suffice.
At the U.N. Human Rights Council earlier, Araqchi denounced Israel’s offensive as a “betrayal of diplomacy.” Israel’s envoy lodged a formal objection to his address.
Geneva hosted the initial 2013 tentative pact that led to the 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by Trump. With Israel’s Operation Rising Lion still targeting Iranian nuclear and missile sites, diplomats fear the slim window for reviving talks is closing fast.
(jh)
Source: Reuters, AP News