UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy will travel to Geneva on Friday for talks with the foreign ministers of France and Germany and with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas aimed at reviving diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear programme. The European trio, known as the E3, are scheduled to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at Germany’s permanent mission in the Swiss city. Lammy said the Middle East is at a “perilous” moment following a week of Israeli and Iranian air strikes and warned that Tehran must “never have a nuclear weapon”. He added that there is a short window—“within the next two weeks”—to reach a diplomatic solution and urged Iran to reopen direct negotiations with the United States. The ministers are expected to press Tehran to halt uranium enrichment and avoid steps that could trigger wider regional escalation. The Geneva session follows Lammy’s visit to Washington, where he and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed that preventing an Iranian bomb remains a shared priority. The White House has indicated President Donald Trump will decide within a fortnight whether the United States will take further action in support of Israel. European officials hope Friday’s meeting can set the stage for more substantive talks and avert a broader conflict.

Talks in Geneva on 20 June between Iran and foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany ended without progress toward curbing Tehran’s nuclear activities, according to the Wall Street Journal. The European envoys pressed Iran to halt all uranium enrichment, aligning publicly for the first time with Washington’s longstanding demand. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected any suspension of enrichment, leaving the negotiating partners without a framework to de-escalate hostilities that have intensified between Iran and Israel. The Trump administration, which had set a two-week window to reassess its options, is weighing whether to back Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, diplomats said. The stalemate deepens concerns of wider regional conflict as European officials warn that time for a diplomatic solution is narrowing. No date was set for a resumption of talks.

European foreign ministers from the United Kingdom, France and Germany met Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Geneva on 20 June for the first direct discussions since diplomatic efforts resumed. The meeting lasted about 90 minutes before both sides broke for internal consultations, with negotiators saying the talks are expected to resume later in the day. Western diplomats said the so-called E3 pressed Iran to accept a framework of “zero uranium enrichment,” a position that would effectively dismantle Tehran’s ability to produce nuclear fuel. An Iranian source cited by CNN said the delegation flatly rejected the demand, calling any move to end enrichment a “bold red line.” According to the same source, Iran also told the Europeans it will not engage with the United States unless Israel halts its ongoing war. One account said Araqchi declined to shake hands with the European ministers, underscoring the tense atmosphere as the parties weighed whether there is scope to narrow differences when talks resume.

An Iranian official said Tehran has not agreed to halt its uranium-enrichment program during the latest round of negotiations in Geneva, calling the issue a “bold red line,” according to remarks reported by CNN on 20 June. The statement signals persistent deadlock in the discussions, which involve European representatives seeking limits on Iran’s nuclear activities. Iran’s refusal to end enrichment preserves a core element of its atomic infrastructure and complicates efforts to reach a broader accord.

On June 20, 2025, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met in Geneva with foreign ministers from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs. This marked the first in-person meeting between senior Western diplomats and a top Iranian official since the outbreak of the conflict between Iran and Israel. The discussions focused on seeking a diplomatic solution to the week-old war, which has involved Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites. European officials expressed readiness to continue negotiations with Tehran aimed at reviving diplomatic channels concerning Iran's nuclear program and de-escalating the ongoing conflict.

Negotiations in Geneva between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany were suspended on 20 June for internal consultations, according to people familiar with the discussions and several regional media outlets. Delegates said the pause was requested by Tehran so its team could seek guidance from senior officials in the capital, a move observers interpreted as signaling that substantial proposals are on the table. No timetable was given for when the talks—aimed at resolving outstanding differences over Iran’s nuclear programme—will resume.

The Swiss Federal Council has approved a financial package totaling 269 million Swiss francs (approximately $329 million) aimed at preserving and strengthening Geneva's status as a hub for international organizations. This move comes in response to the United Nations' plans to cut thousands of jobs in Geneva or relocate them abroad, as well as reductions in multilateral funding led by the United States. The Swiss government intends to invest these funds to support the international community in Geneva and maintain the city's role as a center for diplomacy and multilateral cooperation.

Iran’s interim Friday prayer leader, Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari, told worshippers in Tehran on 20 June that the Islamic Republic will not engage in talks with its adversaries, declaring, “No one is negotiating, no one dares to, and no one is allowed to.” His comments responded to chants from participants who denounced any prospective negotiations. The cleric’s rejection of diplomacy comes as Iran’s foreign minister is scheduled to meet representatives of the E3—France, Germany and the United Kingdom—in Geneva later on Friday. The remarks underscore persistent hard-line resistance to renewed dialogue even as European powers seek to revive diplomatic channels with Tehran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva on Thursday to address the United Nations Human Rights Council. The appearance marks Tehran’s latest effort to engage with the UN body amid continued international scrutiny of the country’s human-rights record. Araghchi’s speech, delivered during a regular session of the Council, comes as member states debate a series of resolutions on civil and political liberties worldwide. Details of his remarks were not immediately released.

The U.S. State Department said discussions currently under way in Geneva between European officials and Iran are being handled by Europe and do not involve Washington. A department spokesperson added that the United States is pursuing solutions to the dispute with Tehran on several other fronts.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran’s meeting with the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear accord—France, Germany and the United Kingdom—scheduled for Geneva will deal exclusively with Iran’s nuclear file and broader regional matters. Araghchi ruled out expanding the agenda to other subjects, signalling that Tehran seeks a tightly focused discussion as diplomatic efforts to revive or modify the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action continue.

A United States diplomatic source said negotiations with Iranian officials in Geneva have produced no progress, the Israeli daily Israel Hayom reported on 20 June. The comment suggests the latest round of talks ended without a breakthrough despite ongoing international efforts to resolve outstanding issues between Washington and Tehran.