- UK FM says the situation in the Middle East remains dangerous.
- Says discussed with Rubio how Iran can avoid conflict.
- Lammy, Rubio agrees that Iran can never develop or acquire nukes.
Washington: Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said there is still a chance to reach a peaceful deal with Iran over his nuclear program.
In a speech prior to key negotiations in Geneva, Lammy said there is a two-week window to find a diplomatic solution and prevent the situation in the Middle East from getting worse.
He urged all sides to act quickly to avoid a wider conflict.
Lammy met with US State Secretary Marco Rubio and the special envoy Steve Witkoff in the White House in front of Friday’s conversations in Geneva with Iranian Secretary of State Abbas Araghchi with his French, German and EU colleagues.
The diplomatic push comes as European countries call for shell in the light of Israel’s bomb attack against Iran’s nuclear program and as US President Donald Trump finds whether they will participate in the strikes in Tehran.
“The situation in the Middle East remains dangerous,” Lammy said in a statement from the British Embassy in Washington.
“We discussed how Iran should enter into an agreement to avoid an in -depth conflict. There is now a window within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution,” he said.
“Tomorrow I’m going to Geneva to meet with the Iranian Foreign Minister with my French, German and EU colleagues,” the British minister added.
“Now is the time to stop the burial scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would not benefit anyone.”
The US Department of State said Lammy and Rubio had “agreed that Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.”
European push for diplomacy
Araghchi previously confirmed that he would “meet with the European Delegation in Geneva on Friday” in a statement laid off by the Iranian state news agency Irna.
The negotiations are set to include Lammy, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Trump has said he is still weighing military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities as Israel continues air strikes and Tehran responds with missile attacks.
France, Germany, Britain and the European Union were all signatories for the nuclear agreement in 2015 with Iran, which Trump withdrew from during his first term of office.
EU Kallas has insisted in coordination with European powers that diplomacy remains the best way to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said European nations were planning to propose a negotiated solution to end the Iran-Israel conflict. He asked his Foreign Minister to work with “close partners” about such an initiative.
Barrot has been in regular contact with his German and British colleagues since Israel launched his great air strikes on Iran last Friday.
“We are ready to participate in negotiations aimed at getting a lasting return of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs from Iran,” Barrot said.
Israel claims its air campaign is intended to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iran has enriched uranium to 60 percent – well over the limit of 3.67 percent set by the 2015 agreement, but still below the 90 percent required for a nuclear war head. Tehran denies that it builds nuclear weapons.
