European diplomatic attempt to negotiate a truce fails

European powers urged Iran yesterday to resume diplomatic efforts with the United States to find a solution to the standoff over its nuclear program, but Tehran warned that it would only consider diplomacy once Israel halted its bombing of the Islamic Republic.

Top British, French, German, and European Union diplomats held fruitless talks in Geneva with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, giving diplomacy a chance a week after the bombing began.

"We left the room with the impression that the Iranian side is willing to continue discussing all important issues," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in a statement alongside his European counterparts. "It is of great importance that the US participate in these negotiations and in the solution," he added.

The diplomat's expression of hope contrasted with the results. Analysts considered it a failure, as nothing concrete came out of it.

Araghchi, on his first trip outside Iran since the bombing began, said Tehran was willing to "consider diplomacy" again, but only once Israel's "aggression" stops. "We support the continuation of the debate... And we express our willingness to meet again in the near future," he said.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated: "We are keen to continue the current talks and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue its talks with the United States." "This is a dangerous moment, and it is extremely important that we do not see a regional escalation of this conflict," he added.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot echoed the British sentiment, stating that "there can be no definitive solution to the Iranian nuclear problem through military means."

“Military operations can delay it, but they cannot eliminate it,” Barrot noted, adding that “it is illusory and dangerous to try to impose regime change from outside. It is up to the people to decide their own destiny.”

"We invite the Iranian minister to consider the possibility of negotiating with all parties, including the United States, without waiting for the cessation of the attacks, which we also expect," he concluded.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas believes that "regional escalation benefits no one." "We must keep the talks open," she continued.

Iran's state news agency IRNA previously reported that the Iranian delegation "stressed that Iran has not left the negotiating table." Iranian representatives also maintained a positive attitude toward "continuing discussions" with Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

The European ministers expressed their view that all parties should refrain from taking steps that could lead to further escalation in the region.

For his part, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, stated: “We are launching the most complex campaign in our history. We must prepare for a prolonged campaign. Despite significant progress, difficult days lie ahead. We are preparing for many eventualities.”

US President Donald Trump said Thursday through a White House spokeswoman that he will decide "in the next two weeks" whether to involve his country in the offensive, alongside Israel. The United States is the only country that possesses the GBU-57 bomb, the only one theoretically capable of reaching the deeply buried core of Iran's nuclear program, located in Fordo, south of Tehran.