British, French and German foreign ministers will hold talks with their Iranian counterpart in Geneva in desperate bid to ease tensions after the White House revealed Donald Trump will decide in the next fortnight whether to take direct military action against Iran.
A high-stakes diplomatic push to defuse tensions between Israel and Iran will begin on Friday with a major international meeting in Geneva, as world powers scramble to prevent a broader conflict in the Middle East.
The meeting is expected to launch a two-week window for securing a peaceful resolution to the escalating standoff.
Senior diplomats from the United Kingdom, France and Germany will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program and explore possible off-ramps to confrontation.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is also expected to attend.
The Geneva meeting comes amid growing concern that the region is on the brink of total war.
Officials say the talks aim to build diplomatic momentum ahead of next week’s NATO leaders’ summit in The Hague, where broader Middle East security discussions are on the agenda.
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British Foreign Secretary David Lammy voiced urgency in a post on X: “The situation in the Middle East remains perilous. We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.” Lammy said he “discussed how a deal could avoid a deepening conflict” in the White House with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
“A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Wednesday called on Iran to “immediately” resume negotiations as the tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate.
“We are calling on Iran to immediately make itself available to resume negotiations —negotiations we are ready to take part in, as we led them 10 years ago,” Barrot said during the Questions to Government session at the French National Assembly.
He reiterated France’s rejection of a military solution to the “Iran nuclear issue,” an expression also echoed by President Emmanuel Macron, who said on Tuesday that seeking regime change in Iran by military means would be the “greatest mistake.”
( Celal Güneş – Anadolu Agency )
On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that U.S. President Trump had shared a message: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks. That’s a quote directly from President Trump,” she said.
Trump is increasingly relying on a close-knit group of advisers as he considers launching military strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, NBC News reported Thursday, citing two defence officials and a senior administration source.
At the same time, Trump is reportedly seeking input from a broader group of allies — both inside and outside the administration — to gauge opinions on whether he should approve military action in Iran, a move that has divided his core supporters, said another senior official.
Although he frequently solicits advice from a wide range of people, Trump typically makes key decisions with a small group of close advisers, including Vice President JD Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also serving as interim national security adviser, according to the senior official.
Trump also consults Steve Witkoff, his envoy for Middle East affairs, on decisions within his scope.
Many of the Trump team have been criticised for the pro-Israel or Islamophobic opinions when they were first appointed.
For example, the U.S. secretary of defence Pete Hegseth sparked controversy when it was revealed he has a tattoo which reads “kafir” in Arabic alongside another reading Deus Vult, which translates to “God Wills It” in Latin.
Deus Vult was a common battle cry of crusader knights who massacred their way to Jerusalem in the historic first crusade. Crusaders are often hailed by Islamophobes due the the Muslim blood they spilled in the medieval period.
Iran and Israel continue to exchange missile and air strikes as the war intensifies and pressure on a return to diplomacy ratchets up.
The Israeli military saying it attacked dozens of targets, including what it called missile manufacturing sites in Tehran.
Seven people have been injured in Beersheba, southern Israel, emergency services say, after an Iranian missile struck a technology park.
Iran has not released official casualty figures but images of children and civilians who have been martyred have been shared on Iranian state news channels.
Since the onset of hostilities with Iran on June 13, a total of 8,190 Israelis have been evacuated from their homes, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Friday, citing the Property Tax Compensation Fund.
The fund also noted that 30,000 claims have been submitted for damages to buildings, vehicles, personal contents, or equipment caused by missile attacks, the daily said.
Hostilities broke out last Friday when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.
Israeli authorities said at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.
Meanwhile, according to some reports, 639 people have been killed in Iran and more than 1,300 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to Iranian media reports.
