While no concrete breakthroughs were achieved, officials described the tone of the talks as constructive and signalled a willingness to keep dialogue open.
A high-stakes meeting in Geneva between top European diplomats and Iran’s foreign minister on Friday brought a faint glimmer of hope for renewed diplomatic engagement, even as the shadow of armed conflict and nuclear escalation continues to loom large over the Middle East. While no concrete breakthroughs were achieved, officials described the tone of the talks as constructive and signalled a willingness to keep dialogue open.
The roughly three-and-a-half-hour closed-door session at a Geneva hotel marked the first direct encounter between Western and Iranian officials since the recent escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran — a conflict that has stirred fresh global anxieties over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany — collectively known as the E3 — along with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. The discussions reportedly covered a range of sensitive topics, including Iran’s nuclear programme, recent military strikes, and the prospects for restarting comprehensive negotiations involving the United States.
According to Reuters, which was among the first to report on the meeting, the mood among diplomats following the talks was cautiously optimistic.
“The 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,” said Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. He added that the meeting featured “very serious talks” that did not shy away from contentious subjects.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy also expressed a commitment to diplomacy. “We are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the United States,” he said. “We were clear: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot offered a sobering reminder of the limits of military strategy. “Military operations can slow Iran’s nuclear programme, but in no way can they eliminate it,” he said, referencing the fallout from past interventions in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan. “It is illusory and dangerous to seek regime change from the outside.”
Barrot also revealed that Iran had been invited to consider fresh negotiations with all involved parties — including the United States — without waiting for the current military hostilities to subside. According to him, Minister Araghchi “agreed to put all the issues on the table, including some that weren’t there before,” and had shown “a willingness to continue the conversation that we started today.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas added that the discussions would not be limited to nuclear issues alone. “We agreed that we will discuss nuclear but also broader issues that we have, and keep the discussions open,” she said.
Speaking after the meeting, Iran’s Araghchi confirmed his support for continued dialogue with the E3 and the EU, and stated his openness to a follow-up meeting “in the near future.” However, he also sharply criticised Europe’s failure to explicitly condemn recent Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. “This non-condemnation is gravely concerning,” he said.
Israel maintains that its recent airstrikes are pre-emptive actions aimed at preventing Iran from advancing towards a nuclear weapon — a goal Tehran denies pursuing. The attacks come amid a stalled diplomatic track between Washington and Tehran, with former President Donald Trump reportedly having set a 60-day window for Iran to return to talks before backing Israeli military efforts.
Despite the lack of immediate progress, Friday’s talks appear to have rekindled a sense of diplomatic possibility. No formal agreements were reached, but officials on both sides left Geneva with an understanding that further dialogue is not only possible — it is urgently needed.
As one senior European diplomat remarked off-record, “It’s not peace, but it’s a foot in the door.”
