Europeans' meeting with top Iranian diplomat yields hope of more talks but no breakthrough

GENEVA (AP) — A meeting between Iran's foreign minister and top European diplomats on Friday yielded hopes of further talks but no immediate concrete breakthrough, a week after the crisis centered on the Iranian nuclear program erupted into war between Israel and Tehran.

Foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany, as well as the European Union's foreign policy chief, emerged from talks at a Geneva hotel about 3 1/2 hours after Iran's Abbas Araghchi arrived for the meeting.

It was the first face-to-face meeting between Western and Iranian officials since the start of the conflict.

In a joint written statement issued after the talks ended, the three European nations and the EU said that they “discussed avenues towards a negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear program.” They reiterated their concerns about the “expansion” of the nuclear program, adding that it has “no credible civilian purpose.”

“The good result today is that we leave the room with the impression that the Iranian side is fundamentally ready to continue talking about all important issues,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, adding both sides had held “very serious talks.”

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “We are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the United States.” He added that “we were clear: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

In a separate statement, Lammy stressed that the aim of Europe and the U.S. was that Iran should stop all uranium enrichment. He said that “there can be discussions about the energy needs of Iran” but added that “zero enrichment is the starting point."

Lammy told British media outlets that there is “a window of within two weeks where we can see a diplomatic solution,” and urged Iran “to take that off ramp.”

“We must absolutely prioritize a return to full negotiations that include the nuclear program to go toward zero enrichment,” said French President Emmanuel Macron earlier on Friday in an apparent alignment with the U.S. position.

Enrichment has been the key point of contention in talks between the U.S. and Iran over its nuclear program. U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff at one point suggested Iran could enrich uranium at 3.67%, then later began saying Iran must stop all enrichment on its soil. That position on the American side has hardened over time. Tehran rejects giving up all uranium enrichment.

“Military operations can slow Iran’s nuclear program but in no way can they eliminate it,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. “We know well -- after having seen what happened in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Libya — how illusory and dangerous it is to want to impose regime change from outside.”

Barrot also said that European nations ”invited the Iranian minister to envisage negotiations with all parties including the United States, and without waiting for the end of the strikes."

The French Foreign Minister explained that in discussions with Iran, Foreign Minister Araghchi agreed “to put all the issues on the table including some that weren’t there before” and “showed his disposition to continuing the conversation — that we started today — and for the Europeans to help facilitate, including with the United States.”

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ”we agreed that we will discuss nuclear but also broader issues that we have, and keep the discussions open."

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also addressed reporters outside the meeting venue after the talks ended. He expressed support for continuing discussions with the three European countries and the EU. He also denounced Israel’s attacks against nuclear facilities in Iran and expressed “grave concern” over what he called “non-condemnation” by European nations.

U.S. considering how to proceed

Lammy traveled to Geneva after meeting in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs. He said Wednesday that he'll decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military will get directly involved in the war given the "substantial chance" for renewed negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.

Israel says it launched its airstrike campaign to stop Iran from getting closer to being able to build a nuclear weapon. Iran and the United States had been negotiating over the possibility of a new diplomatic deal over Tehran’s program, though Trump has said Israel’s campaign came after a 60-day window he set for the talks.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that “we wanted to open a discussion with the Iranian foreign minister because we believe that there is no definitive solution by military means to the Iranian nuclear problem — military operations may delay it but they can't eliminate it.”

'We are not seeking negotiations'

Iran's supreme leader rejected U.S. calls for surrender Wednesday and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause "irreparable damage to them."

Before Friday's talks, Araghchi said in an interview aired by Iranian state television that “in the current situation, as the Zionist regime’s attacks continue, we are not seeking negotiations with anyone.”

He said that “we have nothing to discuss with the United States, which is a partner in these crimes."

”As for others, if they seek dialogue, not negotiations, which don’t make sense right now, we have no problem with that,” he added. He said that Friday’s discussion would focus “solely on the nuclear issue and regional matters” and Iran won’t hold talks on its missiles with anyone.

Threats to reinstate sanctions

Just before meeting the European diplomats, Araghchi made a brief appearance before the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. He said that Israel’s “attacks on nuclear facilities are grave war crimes,” and insisted that “we are entitled … and determined to defend our territorial integrity, national sovereignty and security with all force.”

Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though it was the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

The three European countries played an important role in the negotiations over the original 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. But they have repeatedly threatened to reinstate sanctions that were lifted under the deal if Iran does not improve its cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin, Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Jill Lawless in London and Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna contributed to this report.

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