UK’s Lammy Urges Diplomacy with Iran Amid Rising Tensions, Ahead of Geneva Talks
Britain presses for Iran nuclear deal amid Israel strikes. US/EU seek diplomatic solution as uranium enrichment continues.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Thursday urged for a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran, before the high-level talks in Geneva between Iranian and European leaders. Speaking after meetings with top U.S. officials, Lammy underscored the urgency of reaching a negotiated solution to halt the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
“The situation in the Middle East remains perilous,” Lammy said in a statement issued by the UK embassy in Washington, following his meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House.
“We discussed how Iran must make a deal to avoid a deepening conflict. A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution,” Lammy added. “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.”
US Reaffirms Commitment Against Iranian Nuclear Weapons
The U.S. State Department confirmed that Lammy and Rubio “agreed Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.” Their talks also covered broader transatlantic issues, including coordination on the Russia-Ukraine war and preparations for the upcoming NATO summit. “They reaffirmed the importance of increased defense spending to secure peace and stability,” said Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce in a press release issued June 19, 2025.
In the same day, Rubio spoke with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Both conversations emphasized joint efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, while also addressing the broader conflict in the Middle East and coordination on Ukraine.
Geneva Meeting Set for Friday
The Geneva negotiations, set for Friday, will include Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Lammy, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Araghchi earlier confirmed his participation in a statement to Iranian state media IRNA.
The renewed European diplomatic efforts come amid mounting regional instability. Since last Friday, Israel has launched a massive bombing campaign against Iranian nuclear targets, prompting retaliatory missile strikes from Tehran. In response, European nations have ramped up calls for restraint and a return to talks.
France and Germany in Sync with UK and EU
French President Emmanuel Macron, through his foreign minister Barrot, has initiated consultations with close partners to propose a diplomatic solution. “We are ready to take part in negotiations aimed at obtaining from Iran a lasting rollback of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” Barrot said, as he maintained regular contact with his British and German counterparts.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, representing Brussels, reiterated the European Union’s position: that diplomacy is the only viable path to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear arms. France, Germany, Britain, and the EU were all signatories to the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, which U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from during his first term in office.
Nuclear Tensions and Regional Risk
The crisis unfolds as Iran continues to enrich uranium at 60 percent purity—well beyond the 3.67 percent limit set in the 2015 nuclear deal, but below the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead. Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to build atomic weapons.
Meanwhile, Trump has indicated he is considering joining Israel’s military action against Iranian targets, raising further fears of an expanded conflict in the region.
