UK, France, and Germany Plan Meeting with Iran Amidst Israeli Bombing

In a high-stakes bid to de-escalate escalating tensions in the Middle East, the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are planning an urgent meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva. The potential summit comes in the wake of five days of intense Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities.

The meeting, scheduled for Friday, hangs in the balance, awaiting final confirmation from Tehran. If it proceeds, it will mark the first direct diplomatic engagement since the onset of Israel's military actions. Araghchi has previously engaged with the European ministers via telephone, but has pointedly refused to meet with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, citing the ongoing Israeli attacks as evidence of US complicity.

Prior to the Geneva talks, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy will travel to Washington for crucial discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The discussions will center on strategies for addressing the volatile situation in the Middle East, with the head of EU foreign affairs, Kaja Kallas, also expected to participate.

The core focus of the Geneva negotiations, which will be coordinated with the US, will be to explore Iran's willingness to curtail or dismantle its nuclear program. While Iran maintains its nuclear ambitions are solely for peaceful purposes, concerns remain about the potential for weaponization.

Adding further complexity to the diplomatic landscape, former US President Donald Trump has taken to social media with inflammatory pronouncements, demanding Iran's unconditional surrender and calling for the evacuation of Tehran. These statements contrast sharply with the European powers' emphasis on diplomacy and de-escalation.

France, Britain, and Germany, all signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - JCPOA), have not explicitly endorsed Israel's military actions, acknowledging Israel's right to self-defense while emphasizing the importance of adhering to international law. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has suggested that Israel is acting in a proxy role.

The 2015 agreement, which permitted Iran to enrich uranium to low levels under international supervision, was abandoned by the US in 2018 under Trump's leadership. Iran subsequently began a phased withdrawal from the agreement in 2019. The current US position demands the complete cessation of Iranian domestic enrichment, a stance that complicates diplomatic efforts.