European diplomats urge Iran to continue US nuclear talks in first face-to-face since strikes started

Diplomats from Britain, France, Germany and the European Union met with Iran’s overseas curate connected Friday, urging the state to proceed diplomacy with the U.S. 1 week aft stalled atomic talks escalated into attacks betwixt Iran and Israel. 

"We are keen to proceed ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we impulse Iran to proceed their talks with the United States," British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. "We were clear: Iran cannot person a atomic weapon."

The meeting, held successful Geneva, Switzerland, was the archetypal face-to-face with an Iranian person since past weekend’s flashpoint. 

"The bully effect contiguous is that we permission the country with the content that the Iranian broadside is fundamentally acceptable to proceed talking astir each important issues," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said. He said the 2 sides had held "very superior talks."

IRAN TALKS WITH EUROPEANS SET FOR FRIDAY; WHITE HOUSE SEES ‘SUBSTANTIAL CHANCE’ FOR RENEWED NEGOTIATIONS

France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, from left, Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, airs for photographs successful the offices of the honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany successful Geneva, Friday, June 20, 2025. (Fabrice Coffrini/Keystone via AP) (Fabrice Coffrini/Keystone via AP)

The gathering with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi lasted for much than 3 hours.

"Military operations tin dilatory Iran’s atomic programme but successful nary mode tin they destruct it," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said. "We cognize good -- aft having seen what happened successful Afghanistan, successful Iraq, successful Libya — however illusory and unsafe it is to privation to enforce authorities alteration from outside."

In a associated statement, France, the U.K., Germany and the E.U. said they shared their "grave concerns" with Araghchi "with respect to the escalation of tensions successful the Middle East and reiterated their steadfast committedness to Israel’s security," adding that "all sides should refrain from taking steps which pb to further escalation successful the region, and urgently find a negotiated solution to guarantee that Iran ne'er obtains oregon acquires a atomic weapon."

Early past Friday, Israel launched airstrikes against Iranian atomic sites aft atomic talks seemed to stall, causing Iran to retaliate. The 2 countries proceed to commercialized strikes. 

The European leaders were speaking with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi connected Friday.  (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared soon afterward that the strikes were indispensable to "roll backmost the Iranian menace to Israel's precise survival."

The gathering besides comes little than a period aft a study from the International Atomic Energy Agency warned the state is swiftly expanding its stockpile of adjacent weapons-grade enriched uranium. 

INSIDE THE SITUATION ROOM WHERE TRUMP AND HIS NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM ARE WEARING NEXT STEPS ON IRAN

On Friday, the European diplomats "reiterated their longstanding concerns astir Iran’s enlargement of its atomic programme, which has nary credible civilian purpose, successful usurpation of astir each JCPoA provisions."

They added that they "discussed avenues towards a negotiated solution to Iran’s atomic programme, portion emphasising the urgency of the matter. They expressed their willingness to proceed discussing each questions applicable to Iran’s atomic programme and broader issues," urging Iran to cooperate with the IAEA.

Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump said helium whitethorn see a U.S. onslaught connected Iran. 

President Donald Trump arrives connected Air Force One astatine Morristown Municipal Airport successful Morristown, N.J., Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

"Yes, I whitethorn bash it. I whitethorn not bash it. I mean, cipher knows what I'm going to do. I tin archer you this that Iran's got a batch of trouble, and they privation to negotiate," Trump told reporters Wednesday connected the U.S. perchance striking Iran arsenic it continues trading deadly strikes with Israel. "And I said, wherefore didn't you negociate with maine earlier each this decease and destruction? Why didn't you go? I said to people, wherefore didn't you negociate with maine 2 weeks ago? You could person done fine. You would person had a country. It's precise bittersweet to ticker this."

Trump connected Friday told reporters the U.S. is "willing and able" to speech to Iran, adding that Iran doesn't privation to speech to Europe. "They privation to talk to us. Europe is not going to help," helium said. 

He added that portion helium was against the warfare successful Iraq successful 2003 due to the fact that helium didn't judge determination were weapons connected wide destruction, helium believes Iran is gathering a atomic weapon, saying that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is "wrong" successful saying determination isn't capable grounds to reason that. 

"The worldly that they've gathered already. It's a tremendous magnitude of material. And I deliberation wrong a substance of weeks, oregon surely wrong a substance of months, they are going to beryllium capable to person a atomic weapon," helium said. "We can't fto that happen." 

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On Friday, the U.K., France, Germany and EU diplomats, said they besides "shared their enactment for discussions to continue" with Iran and "welcomed ongoing US efforts to question a negotiated solution. They expressed their willingness to conscionable again successful the future."

 Fox News' Ben Evansky, Emma Colton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.