WASHINGTON, Jun 20 (Alliance News): British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said there remains a narrow two-week window to reach a diplomatic solution with Iran over its nuclear programme and avert a wider Middle East conflict.
Speaking ahead of high-stakes nuclear talks scheduled in Geneva on Friday, Lammy emphasized the urgent need for swift diplomatic efforts.
“The situation in the Middle East remains perilous,” he said in a statement released by the UK embassy in Washington. “A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution.”
Lammy held discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House before departing for Geneva. He will join his French and German counterparts, along with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, in negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The talks come amid escalating tensions, with Israel intensifying its air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and the United States weighing the possibility of joining the campaign. President Donald Trump has hinted at military action but has not made a final decision.
European powers, including France, Germany, and the UK, are calling for restraint and renewed diplomacy to resolve the crisis.
All three nations were signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which limited Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump unilaterally withdrew from the accord during his previous term, straining relations with European allies.
“The goal is to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one,” Lammy said.
The US State Department confirmed that Lammy and Rubio agreed that “Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi confirmed his attendance at the Geneva talks, stating that he will “meet with the European delegation” to seek a solution.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, and EU’s Kaja Kallas will also participate in the talks.
European leaders are urging Iran to roll back its uranium enrichment, which has reached 60% purity—far above the 3.67% limit of the 2015 deal, though still below the 90% needed for a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its programme is solely for peaceful purposes.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently tasked Barrot with working closely with European partners to broker a negotiated solution.
“We are ready to take part in negotiations aimed at obtaining from Iran a lasting rollback of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes,” Barrot said.
The diplomatic push reflects growing concern that the Iran-Israel conflict could spiral further, especially if US military involvement becomes official.
