GENEVA: European foreign ministers will meet Iranโs top negotiator on Friday in a last-ditch effort to revive stalled nuclear diplomacy, even as the United States weighs joining Israeli military strikes against Tehran.
In a rare joint appeal earlier this week, Britain, France, and Germanyโcollectively known as the E3โalongside the European Unionโs foreign policy chief, urged Iranian envoy Abbas Araqchi to pursue de-escalation. The conversation led to an agreement for in-person talks, requested by Iran, to be held in Geneva.
The diplomatic outreach comes as tensions in the Middle East spiral following Israelโs Operation Rising Lion, an unprecedented wave of strikes launched on June 12 against Iranโs nuclear and ballistic infrastructure. Iran has since retaliated, raising fears of a wider regional war.
โThe Iranians canโt sit down with the Americans whereas we can,โ a European diplomat noted. โOur message is simple: return to the table before the worst-case scenario unfolds.โ
Geneva, symbolic as the birthplace of the initial 2013 accord between Iran and global powers, now hosts this critical meeting under the looming threat of conflict. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which limited Iranโs nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, has been severely eroded following U.S. withdrawal and recent hostilities.
While expectations for a breakthrough remain low, European diplomats emphasize the urgency of engagement. โThe war will end at some point,โ one said. โBut Iranโs nuclear knowledge canโt be bombed away. The threat will persist unless diplomacy resumes.โ
Iranian officials echoed the call for talks but accused the West of failing to rein in Israel. โIran remains committed to diplomacy as the only path to resolving disputesโbut diplomacy is under attack,โ said an Iranian official, urging the E3 to press Israel to halt its strikes.
Meanwhile, international pressure on Iran continues to mount. Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agencyโs (IAEA) Board of Governors passed a resolution accusing Iran of violating its non-proliferation obligations. European powers have hinted at referring Iran to the UN Security Council if progress stalls further.
With the 2015 nuclear deal set to expire in October, European nations are also considering triggering the โsnapbackโ mechanismโreimposing UN sanctions. Diplomats say the E3 may launch this process by the end of August if diplomacy fails to yield results.
Iran has warned against such a move, calling it a provocation with โserious consequences.โ
