UK's Lammy to meet European counterparts in Geneva to hold nuclear talks with Iran
LONDON: British foreign minister David Lammy will head to Geneva on Friday for nuclear talks with Iran and European counterparts, racing to press for a diplomatic solution over Tehran's nuclear programme, his office said on Thursday (Jun 19).
Israel and Iran have been in a spiralling air war since last week after Israel launched military strikes on Iran, which retaliated with waves of missiles.
Lammy's trip to Switzerland follows his visit to Washington, where he on Thursday met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
"We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon ... A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," Lammy said in a statement.
"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 foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany - known as the E3 - will meet with the European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, at Germany's permanent mission in Geneva before holding a joint meeting with the Iranian foreign minister, a German source previously told Reuters.
Rubio discussed with Lammy the conflict between Israel and Iran, the pair agreeing that the Islamic Republic can "never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon", a spokesperson for Rubio said in a statement.
Israel has said its goal is to eliminate Tehran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran denies that its nuclear programme is for military purposes.
make a decision within the next two weeks whether to get involved on Israel's side.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Russia says any use of tactical nuclear weapons by US in Iran would be catastrophic, TASS reports
Russia says any use of tactical nuclear weapons by US in Iran would be catastrophic, TASS reports MOSCOW - Potential use of tactical nuclear weapons by the United States in Iran would be a catastrophic development, Russian state news agency TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Friday. Peskov was commenting on what he called speculative media reports about that possibility. His comments, as reported by TASS, did not mention any media by name. The Guardian newspaper reported that U.S. defence officials were briefed that using conventional bombs against Iran's underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow would not be enough to destroy it completely, and that destroying it would require initial attacks with conventional bombs and then dropping a tactical nuclear weapon from a B-2 bomber. However, the British newspaper said President Donald Trump was not considering using a tactical nuclear weapon on Fordow and the possibility was not presented by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, in meetings in the White House Situation Room. Trump said on Thursday that any decision on potential U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict would be made within two weeks. Russia, which has close ties with Iran, has warned strongly against U.S. military intervention on the side of Israel. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Israeli PM Netanyahu draws backlash after citing ‘personal cost' of Iran-Israel war - postponing his son's wedding
Mr Netanyahu (middle) said everyone bear a personal cost due to the ongoing conflict, including his family. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Israeli PM Netanyahu draws backlash after citing 'personal cost' of Iran-Israel war - postponing his son's wedding Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked an uproar after he cited the postponement of his son's wedding as his 'personal cost' amid the ongoing Israel-Iran war. Speaking in front of the missile-struck Soroka Medical Centre in southern Israel on June 19, Mr Netanyahu has initially tried to draw a parallel between Israel's current crisis and Britain's resilience during World War II. 'It really reminds me of the British people during the blitz. We are going through a blitz,' British newspaper The Guardian reported Mr Netanyahu as saying. The blitz referred to the wartime Nazi bombing of Britain in which 43,000 civilians died. 'There are people who were killed, families who grieved loved ones, I really appreciate that,' he said. Israel began attacking Iran on June 13, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful. Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. Mr Netanyahu said everyone bear a personal cost due to the ongoing conflict, including his family. 'This is the second time that my son Avner has cancelled a wedding due to missile threats. It is a personal cost for his fiancée as well, and I must say that my dear wife is a hero, and she bears a personal cost.' Mr Avner's wedding to Ms Amit Yardeni was supposed to take place in November 2024, but was postponed due to security concerns. The wedding was scheduled on June 16, with Israeli media reported that some anti-government protesters had denounced the Netanyahu family for holding a celebration while Israeli hostages are still being held in Gaza. The backlash of Mr Netanyahu's latest remarks was almost instantaneous, with many criticising his attempt to frame his son's postponed wedding as a symbol of national sacrifice. Mr Gilad Kariv, a Member of Parliament, described Mr Netanyahu as 'a borderless narcissist'. 'I know many families who were not forced to postpone a wedding, but who will never celebrate the weddings that were once meant to take place,' he said on X. He was also dismissive of Mr Netanyahu's praise for his wife, Mrs Sara Netanyahu. 'The doctors who leave home for night shifts are the heroes. The teachers who keep our children together on Zoom and phone calls are the heroes.' Israeli journalist Amir Tibon summed it all up by saying on X: 'With Netanyahu, there are no surprises: even in moments when personal example is most needed, he is preoccupied first and foremost with himself.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
6 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Europeans try to coax Iran back to diplomacy, as Trump considers strikes, World News
GENEVA — European foreign ministers are set to meet their Iranian counterpart on Friday (June 20) aiming to create a pathway back to diplomacy over its contested nuclear programme despite the US actively considering joining Israeli strikes against Iran. Ministers from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, as well as the European Union's foreign policy chief spoke to Abbas Araqchi earlier this week and have been coordinating with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In a rare call they pressed upon Araqchi the need to return to the negotiating table and avoid further escalation. At Iran's suggestion the two sides agreed to meet face-to-face. The talks will be held in Geneva, where an initial accord between Iran and world powers to curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions lifting was struck in 2013 before a comprehensive deal in 2015. They come after negotiations between Iran and the United States collapsed when Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic capabilities on June 12. "The Iranians can't sit down with the Americans whereas we can," said a European diplomat. "We will tell them to come back to the table to discuss the nuclear issue before the worst case scenario, while raising our concerns over its ballistic missiles, support to Russia and detention of our citizens." The European powers, who were not part of Iran's nuclear negotiations with the United States, had grown increasingly frustrated by the US negotiating strategy in the talks. They deemed some of the demands unrealistic, while fearing the possibility of a weak initial political framework that would lead to open-ended negotiations. Two diplomats said there were no great expectations for a breakthrough in Geneva, where the European Union's foreign policy chief will also attend. But they said it was vital to engage with Iran because once the war stopped, Iran's nuclear programme would still remain unresolved given that it would be impossible to eradicate the know-how acquired, leaving it potentially able to clandestinely rebuild its programme. An Iranian official said Tehran has always welcomed diplomacy, but urged the E3 to use all available means to pressure Israel to halt its attacks on Iran. "Iran remains committed to diplomacy as the only path to resolving disputes — but diplomacy is under attack," the official said. Prior to Israel's strikes the E3 and US put forward a resolution that was approved by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a UN watchdog, which declared Iran in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. As part of last week's IAEA resolution, European officials had said they could refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council later in the summer to add pressure on Iran if there was no progress in the nuclear talks. That would be separate to them reimposing UN sanctions, known as the snapback mechanism, before October 18 when the 2015 accord expires. The Europeans are the only ones who can launch the snapback mechanism, with diplomats saying the three countries had looked to set a final deadline at the end of August to launch it. "Iran has repeatedly stated that triggering snapback will have serious consequences," the Iranian official said. [[nid:719305]]
