GENEVA (AP) 鈥 A meeting between Iran鈥檚 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 鈥渄iscussed avenues towards a negotiated solution to Iran鈥檚 nuclear program.鈥 They reiterated their concerns about the 鈥渆xpansion鈥 of the nuclear program, adding that it has 鈥渘o credible civilian purpose.鈥
鈥淭he 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,鈥 German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, adding both sides had held 鈥渧ery serious talks.鈥
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: 鈥淲e are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the United States.鈥 He added that 鈥渨e were clear: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.鈥
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 鈥渢here can be discussions about the energy needs of Iran鈥 but added that 鈥渮ero enrichment is the starting point."
Lammy told British media outlets that there is 鈥渁 window of within two weeks where we can see a diplomatic solution,鈥 and urged Iran 鈥渢o take that off ramp.鈥
鈥淲e must absolutely prioritize a return to full negotiations that include the nuclear program to go toward zero enrichment,鈥 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.
鈥淢ilitary operations can slow Iran鈥檚 nuclear program but in no way can they eliminate it,鈥 said French Foreign Minister Jean-No毛l Barrot. 鈥淲e know well -- after having seen what happened in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Libya 鈥 how illusory and dangerous it is to want to impose regime change from outside.鈥
Barrot also said that European nations 鈥漣nvited 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 鈥渢o put all the issues on the table including some that weren鈥檛 there before鈥 and 鈥渟howed his disposition to continuing the conversation 鈥 that we started today 鈥 and for the Europeans to help facilitate, including with the United States.鈥
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said 鈥漺e agreed that we will discuss nuclear but also broader issues that we have, and keep the discussions open."
Iran鈥檚 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鈥檚 attacks against nuclear facilities in Iran and expressed 鈥済rave concern鈥 over what he called 鈥渘on-condemnation鈥 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鈥檚 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 . He said Wednesday that he鈥檒l decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military will get directly involved in the war given the 鈥渟ubstantial chance鈥 for renewed negotiations over Tehran鈥檚 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鈥檚 program, though Trump has said Israel鈥檚 campaign came after a 60-day window he set for the talks.
French Foreign Minister Jean-No毛l Barrot said that 鈥渨e 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 鈥 military operations may delay it but they can't eliminate it.鈥
'We are not seeking negotiations'
Iran鈥檚 supreme leader Wednesday and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause 鈥渋rreparable damage to them.鈥
Before Friday's talks, Araghchi said in an interview aired by Iranian state television that 鈥渋n the current situation, as the Zionist regime鈥檚 attacks continue, we are not seeking negotiations with anyone.鈥
He said that 鈥渨e have nothing to discuss with the United States, which is a partner in these crimes."
鈥滱s for others, if they seek dialogue, not negotiations, which don鈥檛 make sense right now, we have no problem with that,鈥 he added. He said that Friday鈥檚 discussion would focus 鈥渟olely on the nuclear issue and regional matters鈥 and Iran won鈥檛 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鈥檚 鈥渁ttacks on nuclear facilities are grave war crimes,鈥 and insisted that 鈥渨e are entitled 鈥 and determined to defend our territorial integrity, national sovereignty and security with all force.鈥
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.
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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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