British Foreign Minister David Lammy announced on Friday that he will travel to Geneva to meet his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi. This will mark the first direct diplomatic contact between Iran and Western countries since the outbreak of military conflict between Iran and Israel.
The situation in the Middle East remains perilous. We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. Meeting with @SecRubio and @SteveWitkoff in the White House today, we discussed how a deal could avoid a deepening conflict. A window now exists within the next two… pic.twitter.com/UKAOsnDAm8
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 19, 2025
Lammy will join his French and German counterparts, as well as EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas, in aiming for a joint effort to prevent further escalation and revive nuclear non-proliferation talks.
Before heading to Geneva, Lammy met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Thursday. They reportedly discussed the escalating conflict and reaffirmed that Iran must never be permitted to develop or acquire nuclear weapons. Lammy added that there is now a window “within the next two weeks” to achieve a diplomatic solution.
The diplomatic opening follows eight days of military escalation. On 13 June, Israel attacked Iranian nuclear and military sites in Isfahan and Natanz. The IAEA has confirmed that there has been damage to Iranian nuclear infrastructure, although the underground enrichment facilities remain largely intact. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv. Hundreds were reported killed in Iran, alongside several civilian casualties in Israel, including four Palestinian women from the same family in the northern Israeli town of Tamra.
Until now, diplomatic efforts had focused on coordination among Western allies and Israel. Friday’s meeting in Geneva marks a turning point, with Iran being brought into the talks after being sidelined previously.
