Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 19, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
UK's David Lammy heads to Geneva for nuclear talks with Iran, aiming for a diplomatic solution amid escalating tensions with Israel.
LONDON (Reuters) -British foreign minister David Lammy will head to Geneva on Friday for nuclear talks with Iran and European counterparts, racing to press for a diplomatic solution over Tehran’s nuclear programme, his office said on Thursday.
Israel and Iran have been in a spiralling air war since last week after Israel launched military strikes on Iran, which retaliated with waves of missiles.
Lammy's trip to Switzerland follows his visit to Washington, where he on Thursday met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
"We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon... A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," Lammy said in a statement.
"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 foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany - known as the E3 - will meet with the European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, at Germany's permanent mission in Geneva before holding a joint meeting with the Iranian foreign minister, a German source previously told Reuters.
Rubio discussed with Lammy the conflict between Israel and Iran, the pair agreeing that the Islamic Republic can "never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon," a spokesperson for Rubio said in a statement.
Israel has said its goal is to eliminate Tehran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran denies that its nuclear programme is for military purposes.
The White House said earlier on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump will make a decision within the next two weeks whether to get involved on Israel's side.
(Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bangaluru and Sam Tabahriti in London; Editing by Jamie Freed and Stephen Coates)
David Lammy is heading to Geneva for nuclear talks with Iran and European counterparts, aiming for a diplomatic solution regarding Tehran's nuclear program.
Tensions have escalated following Israel's military strikes on Iran, which prompted Iran to retaliate with missile attacks.
Both the UK and US, represented by Lammy and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, agree that Iran must never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.
Lammy emphasized that there is a window of opportunity within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution and prevent further escalation in the Middle East.
The discussions will involve the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany, known as the E3, along with the European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.
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