On the eve of high-stakes talks in Geneva over Iran’s nuclear program, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Thursday called for urgent diplomacy to avert a broader Middle East conflict. Speaking after meetings with senior US officials in Washington, Lammy said there remains a “narrow window” to reach a diplomatic resolution with Tehran. He is scheduled to join his French, German, and EU counterparts in talks on Friday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva.
“The situation in the Middle East remains perilous,” Lammy said in a statement released by the British embassy in Washington. “We discussed how Iran must make a deal to avoid a deepening conflict. A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution,” he added.
Lammy held talks at the White House with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, amid escalating tensions following Israel’s intensified bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear facilities. The US State Department confirmed that Lammy and Rubio agreed “Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.”
Friday’s Geneva meeting is set to bring together Lammy, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Iran’s Araghchi has confirmed his attendance, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.
The diplomatic push comes as US President Donald Trump weighs possible military intervention in support of Israel, which has launched major airstrikes against Iranian targets. Tehran has responded with retaliatory missile attacks, fueling fears of a regional war. France, Germany, the UK, and the EU were all signatories of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the landmark nuclear agreement that limited Iran’s uranium enrichment program. The deal was unilaterally abandoned by Trump during his first term, triggering renewed instability.
EU foreign policy chief Kallas has reiterated that diplomacy remains the most effective means to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said European nations are working to propose a negotiated solution to defuse the Iran-Israel conflict and tasked Barrot with developing a diplomatic initiative alongside close partners.
“We are ready to take part in negotiations aimed at obtaining from Iran a lasting rollback of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” said Barrot, who has been in frequent contact with his German and British counterparts since Israel’s strikes began last week. While Iran has enriched uranium to 60% purity — far exceeding the 3.67% cap set by the 2015 deal but still below weapons-grade — it maintains that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes. Western powers remain skeptical, warning that Iran’s program could quickly pivot to weapons development if unchecked.
Israel has justified its military campaign as a preemptive measure to block Iran from reaching nuclear weapons capability.