Diplomacy to prevent the conflict between Israel and Iran spiralling further out of control is picking up pace with the UK at its centre.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio and President Trump’s chief negotiator Steve Witkoff in Washington, and flies next to Geneva.
Sources close to the talks say the meeting in the US capital was positive and the Americans are seeking a diplomatic solution while retaining military action as very much an option “on the table”.
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Mr Lammy flies to meet with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Aragchi and their French and German counterparts in Geneva on Friday. He will be taking with him a message to the Iranians from the Trump administration.
Their response could be crucial in what happens next in a conflict that threatens to escalate, engulfing the region.
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There are limitations to the diplomacy under way not least because Israel is not involved in the talks.
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Israelis say Iran cannot be trusted and do not want their stunning military progress jeopardised by weeks of delaying diplomacy, fearing the Iranians will play for time.
US President Donald Trump though seems willing to give the talks more time, possibly as much as two weeks before taking military action if it fails.
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The talks will focus on Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons programme and the issue of uranium enrichment.
Iran has been enriching to levels that can only be used for military purposes while claiming to do so for civilian reasons.
Israel and America both believe Iran cannot be trusted to enrich uranium for any purposes.
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But if Iran can be persuaded to give up its enrichment programme and verifiably guarantee its nuclear project can only be used for civilian purposes, a deal might be possible. That is a big if. Iran has long defended its right to enrich uranium.
Israel will need a lot of persuading to call off its military offensive and if President Trump remains unconvinced by the diplomacy too, escalation including US military action seems at this stage hard to avoid.
