UK Sees Opportunity for Iran Talks After Trump Sets U.S. Action Deadline

By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda Updated at 1558 EAT on Friday 20 June 2025

Images are beginning to emerge of the foreign ministers of the UK, EU, France, and Germany in discussion in Geneva, ahead of their scheduled meeting with their Iranian counterpart.

The European diplomats are expected to present a new proposal aimed at de-escalating tensions and advancing a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict.

Imagine a large international passenger jet attempting to land on the narrow runway of a small regional airport.

That’s the kind of delicate maneuver the European foreign ministers are attempting this afternoon in Geneva as they meet with their Iranian counterpart.

Diplomats are describing the situation as having only a “thin landing strip” a narrow and fragile opportunity to secure a diplomatic solution to the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.

In a sign of growing coordination, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Britain’s ambassador to the U.S., Lord Peter Mandelson, spent nearly 45 minutes in talks last night with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House special envoy Steve Witkoff in Washington.

European diplomats view the discussion as an encouraging signal of transatlantic alignment ahead of today’s high-stakes negotiations.

European diplomats believe this signals that U.S. President Donald Trump remains genuinely undecided about whether to join Israel in military action against Iran.

David Lammy has emphasized that a two-week window still exists for diplomacy to succeed. Today’s talks in Geneva aim to prevent that narrow landing strip from shrinking any further.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron has provided further details on Europe’s diplomatic efforts with Iran, set for today’s talks in Geneva. He confirmed that France, alongside its European partners, will present Iran with a diplomatic proposal aimed at resolving the conflict with Israel.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, currently in Geneva for talks with his Iranian counterpart, has announced that the UK will arrange charter flights to repatriate British nationals once Israeli airspace reopens.

These flights will operate from Tel Aviv’s main international airport, which has been closed to passenger traffic since last week, although some land border crossings remain open.

Lammy stated, “As part of our efforts to support British nationals in the Middle East, the government is working closely with Israeli authorities to provide charter flights from Tel Aviv airport when airspace reopens, based on demand from British citizens wishing to return home.”

British nationals currently in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) are advised to register their presence so they can receive further guidance about the upcoming charter flights.

“Land routes out of Israel remain open, and UK staff are available to assist British nationals who have crossed the border. This support will include providing transport—subject to demand—to nearby airports for onward commercial flights,” Lammy added.

Turning briefly to Gaza, witnesses and medical personnel report that Israeli forces have killed 23 Palestinians after opening fire on crowds gathered near an aid distribution site.

According to eyewitnesses and medics, tanks and drones targeted thousands of people near an aid centre operated by the U.S. and the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in central Gaza.

A hospital spokesperson in Nuseirat confirmed receiving 23 bodies and over 100 injured individuals.

The Israeli military has not issued any immediate statement regarding the incident.

In a separate attack, a medic from the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that 11 Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a home in the al-Ma’sar area, west of Deir al-Balah.

President Trump has stated that he wants to give negotiations a chance—underscoring that there is only one negotiating track that truly matters.

According to diplomatic sources close to the Geneva talks, European foreign ministers meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi today will focus on the U.S. proposal for a new nuclear agreement aimed at curbing Iran’s uranium enrichment activities.

European ministers are expected to deliver a “clear message” from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, outlining Washington’s expectations in the negotiations.

“It’s all about a road to zero,” one diplomatic source said, referring to the goal of completely halting Iran’s uranium enrichment.

For Iran, however, ending all enrichment has long been a red line. The country is currently enriching uranium to 60% purity well beyond the level required for a civilian nuclear program and edging closer to weapons-grade material.

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