Iran's Foreign Minister has confirmed he will travel to Geneva to meet his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany on Friday for talks on Israel's conflict with Tehran.
Boosting hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough, Abbas Araghchi is to leave Iran for Switzerland. EU foreign affairs minister Kaja Kallas will also take part in the meeting.
Iranian state media reported the trip and Mr Araghchi said the meeting had come at the request of the three European countries. "We will meet with the European delegation in Geneva on Friday," he added.
David Lammy, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, is ready to support talks to reach a diplomatic settlement to the war, a UK official has told The National.
“The UK has had long-standing concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme for many years and the Foreign Secretary is ready to support talks to press for a diplomatic solution,” the diplomatic source said. An agreement is needed “to address the nuclear issue for the long term”, they added.
An EU official also confirmed to The National that Ms Kallas would “join her E3 counterparts for talks with the Iranian Foreign Minister in Geneva on Friday", in the hope of encouraging Iran to focus on a diplomatic resolution to the war. Other officials told The National overnight that the talks were "in the balance".
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in Paris on Thursday that Iran was interested in holding talks. "During discussions we have had with the Iranian authorities, their message has been relatively clear: there is a willingness to resume discussions, including with the United States, provided that a ceasefire can be achieved," he said.
"On our side, there is a willingness to resume negotiations, provided that these negotiations can lead to a lasting, substantial reversal by Iran of its nuclear programme, its ballistic missile programme and its regional destabilisation activities."
The talks in Geneva will concentrate on whether Iran can provide assurances on significantly scaling back or ending its nuclear programme in light of the Israeli assault.
Mr Araghchi, who spoke by phone with the three foreign ministers earlier this week, insisted on social media that Tehran did not aim to develop a nuclear weapon. “Iran has proven in action what it has always publicly committed itself to: we have never sought and will never seek nuclear weapons,” he said.
But he is still said to be refusing to meet the US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, after the US approved Israel's air strikes across Iran last Friday.
Before the meeting with Mr Araghchi, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy is first due to hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, to address the Middle East crisis.
Meanwhile, Mr Aragchi is also expected to attend a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) in Istanbul on Saturday, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said on Thursday.
The source added that a special session of the 51st OIC Council of Foreign Ministers is expected to focus on Israel's war on Iran. Turkey has sharply criticised Israel, called its actions illegal and said Iran was defending itself.
Opening the two-day summit, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is expected to call on Muslim countries to unite in the face of “destabilising actions” across the region, the ministry source said.
White House meeting
On Wednesday, Iran denied sending a delegation to Oman for negotiations with US officials over a ceasefire with Israel. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei was quoted by state-run media as saying reports about the talks were “fabricated”.
Earlier media reports claimed Iran sent three planes to Muscat carrying officials for “secret” talks with US officials about a ceasefire with Israel.
US President Donald Trump has been ambiguous about whether American forces would strike Iranian nuclear sites. He has said Tehran made contact in a bid to negotiate.
His comments came a day after he appeared to be preparing for war and demanded the “unconditional surrender” of Tehran. He added that Iranian officials wanted to negotiate and had even proposed a meeting in the White House, but that it was “very late to be talking”.
Iran's mission to the UN denied that such a request had been made. “No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House,” the mission said in a post on X.
