Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Thursday after talks at the White House with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff that there is still time to reach a diplomatic solution with Iran over its nuclear programme, in a bid to avert a wider regional conflict.
Lammy met with senior US officials in Washington just one day before heading to Geneva, where he will hold high-level talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as well as his counterparts from France, Germany, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
“The situation in the Middle East remains perilous. We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon,” Lammy said in a statement issued by the UK Embassy in Washington.
“We discussed how Iran must make a deal to avoid a deepening conflict. A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution.”
His statement comes as he prepares to travel to Geneva on Friday, where the UK, France, Germany, and the EU, collectively known as the E3+EU, are pushing for de-escalation following Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
“Tomorrow, I will be heading to Geneva to meet with the Iranian foreign minister alongside my French, German and EU counterparts,” Lammy added.
“Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one.”
The diplomatic push comes against the backdrop of an escalating air war between Israel and Iran, triggered last week by Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. Iran retaliated with missile attacks, deepening fears of a broader regional war.
Israel maintains that its goal is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran denies any military intentions in its nuclear programme.
A spokesperson for Rubio said the US and UK remain united in their belief that the Islamic Republic must never acquire nuclear weapons. Lammy and Rubio reportedly agreed on the urgency of pursuing diplomatic avenues before military escalation spirals further.
Meanwhile, the White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump is expected to make a decision within the next two weeks on whether the US will formally support Israel’s military campaign.
With inputs from Reuters