EU diplomats' meeting with Iranian foreign minister over war with Israel yields no breakthrough

A gathering betwixt apical European diplomats and Iran’s overseas curate connected Friday yielded hopes of further talks but nary denotation of immoderate contiguous aliases actual breakthrough, a week aft Israel attacked Iran complete Tehran's atomic program, erupting into warfare betwixt some sides.

Foreign ministers from Britain, France, and Germany and nan European Union's overseas argumentation chief, Kaja Kallas, emerged from nan talks astatine a Geneva edifice astir 4 hours aft Iran's Abbas Araghchi arrived for nan meeting.

It was nan first face-to-face gathering betwixt Western and Iranian officials since nan commencement of nan conflict.

In a associated written connection issued aft nan talks ended, nan 3 European nations and nan EU said that they “discussed avenues towards a negotiated solution to Iran’s atomic programme.”

They reiterated their concerns astir nan “expansion” of nan atomic program, adding that it has “no reliable civilian purpose.”

EU overseas argumentation main Kaja Kallas said, ”We agreed that we will talk atomic but besides broader issues that we person and support nan discussions open."

“The bully consequence coming is that we time off nan room pinch nan belief that nan Iranian broadside is fundamentally fresh to proceed talking astir each important issues,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, adding some sides had held “very superior talks.”

While France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told reporters, subject operations tin slow Iran’s atomic program, but successful nary measurement tin they destruct it.

“We cognize well—after having seen what happened successful Afghanistan, successful Iraq, and successful Libya—how illusory and vulnerable it is to want to enforce authorities alteration from outside.”

Barrot besides said that European nations ”invited nan Iranian curate to envisage negotiations pinch each parties, including nan United States, and without waiting for nan extremity of nan strikes."

However promising, Iran ruled retired caller atomic talks until attacks from Israel stop.

According to Araghchi, Iran was fresh to see diplomacy only if Israel's "aggression is stopped." "I make it crystal clear that Iran's defence capabilities are non-negotiable," nan Iranian overseas curate stressed aft nan Geneva talks.

He expressed support for “a continuation of discussions pinch nan E3 and nan EU and expressed his readiness to meet again successful nan adjacent future.” He besides denounced Israel’s attacks against atomic accommodation successful Iran and expressed “grave concern” astir what he called “non-condemnation” by European nations.

For his part, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged Tehran to proceed its talks pinch nan United States. Lammy said, “We are keen to proceed ongoing discussions and negotiations pinch Iran, and we impulse Iran to proceed their talks pinch nan United States.” He added that “we were clear: Iran cannot person a atomic weapon.”

He added location is “a model of wrong 2 weeks wherever we tin spot a negotiated solution” and urged Iran “to return that off-ramp.”

Trump delays decision

Meanwhile, it remains unclear really that will hap arsenic US President Donald Trump continues to measurement whether to onslaught Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried nether a upland and wide considered to beryllium retired of scope of each but America’s “bunker-buster” bombs.

Trump said connected Wednesday that he’ll determine wrong 2 weeks whether nan US subject will get straight progressive successful nan war, fixed nan “substantial chance” for renewed negotiations complete Tehran’s atomic program.

Israel says it launched its airstrike run to extremity Iran from getting person to being capable to build a atomic weapon.

Iran and nan United States had been negotiating complete nan anticipation of a caller negotiated woody complete Tehran’s programme, though Trump has said Israel’s run came aft a 60-day model he group for nan talks.

'We are entitled … to take sides our territorial integrity' - Iran

In ray of nan anticipation of US involvement, Iran’s ultimate leader rejected Trump's calls for surrender Wednesday and warned that immoderate subject engagement by nan Americans would origin “irreparable harm to them.”

Just earlier gathering nan European diplomats connected Friday, Foreign Minister Araghchi made a little quality earlier nan U.N. Human Rights Council successful Geneva, telling nan assembly that Israel’s “attacks connected atomic accommodation are sedate warfare crimes”.

Araghchi insisted that Iran is "entitled … and wished to take sides our territorial integrity, nationalist sovereignty, and information pinch each force.”

Tehran has agelong insisted its atomic programme is peaceful, though it was nan only non-nuclear-armed authorities to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, method measurement distant from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

The first 2015 atomic statement betwixt Iran and nan world powers was negotiated successful ample portion by nan 3 European nations.

However, Iran has been recovered wanting successful its practice pinch nan International Atomic Energy Agency, nan U.N. atomic watchdog, starring to warnings by nan EU states to reimpose sanctions that were suspended nether nan agreement.