The air war between Israel and Iran entered its second week on Friday, and European officials tried to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table after US President Donald Trump said any decision on possible US involvement would be made within two weeks, UNN reported, citing Reuters.
Details
Amid a standoff, the foreign ministers of Great Britain, France and Germany, along with the head of the EU foreign policy department, were due to meet in Geneva with Iran's foreign minister on Friday to try to de-escalate the conflict.
"Now is the time to end the grim scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that will not benefit anyone," stated British Foreign Secretary David Lammie ahead of their joint meeting with Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met with Lammie on Thursday and held separate phone calls with his counterparts from Australia, France, and Italy to discuss the conflict.
The US State Department said Rubio and the foreign ministers agreed that "Iran will never be able to develop or acquire nuclear weapons."
Lammie said the same on X, adding that the situation in the Middle East "remains dangerous" and "there is now a window for the next two weeks to reach a diplomatic solution."
Trump gave Iran two weeks before deciding on a strike - White House19.06.25, 21:29 • [views_4069]
Kremlin head Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping both condemned Israel and agreed that de-escalation was needed, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
The role of the United States remains uncertain. Trump's special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, spoke with Araghchi several times last week, sources said.
The White House said Trump would attend a national security meeting on Friday morning. The US president has alternately threatened Tehran and called on it to resume nuclear negotiations, which were halted due to the conflict, the publication notes.
The White House confirmed that Iran and the US held direct talks19.06.25, 21:48 • [views_4671]
Addendum
At dawn on Friday, the Israeli military announced a new warning of a barrage of missiles from Iran. At least one hit Beersheba, the largest city in southern Israel, which has been shelled in recent days.
The missile hit residential buildings, office buildings, and industrial facilities, leaving a large crater and significantly damaging the facade of at least one residential complex and affecting several others. According to paramedic Shafir Botner, at least six people were slightly injured in the explosion, and response teams were still searching apartments for victims.
The Israeli Defense Forces said they carried out several strikes on the center of the Iranian capital overnight. The military said the targets included missile production sites and a nuclear weapons research and development facility.
Last Friday, Israel began attacking Iran, saying it aimed to prevent its long-time adversary from developing nuclear weapons. Iran, in response, launched missile and drone attacks on Israel. It says its nuclear program is peaceful. As a result of Israeli air strikes, 639 people died in Iran, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Among the dead were high-ranking military personnel and nuclear scientists. Israel said at least two dozen Israeli civilians were killed in Iran's missile attacks.
According to Western and regional officials, Israel targeted nuclear facilities and missile capabilities, and also sought to undermine the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"Are we aiming to overthrow the regime? That could be a result, but it is up to the Iranian people to rise up for their freedom," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.
Iran said its targets were military and defense facilities in Israel, although it also hit a hospital and other civilian facilities.
On Thursday, Israel accused Iran of deliberately attacking civilians with cluster munitions, which scatter small bombs over a large area.
The White House said Trump would decide within the next two weeks whether to participate in the war. As Reuters notes, this may not be a strict deadline. Trump has often used "two weeks" as a timeframe for making decisions and has allowed for shifts in other economic and diplomatic deadlines.