British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Thursday underscored the urgent need for a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear program, warning against a wider conflict in the Middle East, AFP reported.
His remarks followed discussions at the White House with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
In a statement released by the UK embassy in Washington, Lammy asserted, "The situation in the Middle East remains perilous. We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon."
Emphasizing the narrow timeframe for a resolution, Lammy added, "We discussed how Iran must make a deal to avoid a deepening conflict. A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution."
Lammy is slated to travel to Geneva on Friday for critical talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, alongside his French, German, and EU counterparts, which were announced earlier this week.
He stressed the imperative of these negotiations and said, "Tomorrow, I will be heading to Geneva to meet with the Iranian foreign minister alongside my French, German and EU counterparts. Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one."
The meeting comes days after European foreign ministers issued a stern call to Araghchi, urging an immediate return to nuclear negotiations with the United States and a halt to escalating conflict with Israel.
According to a French diplomatic source, Araghchi informed the Europeans that while Tehran maintained its seriousness in diplomacy, its current "focus at this stage is, of course, to effectively... confront aggression."
The push for a compromise with Iran comes amid speculation that President Donald Trump could order the US to join Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Thursday that Trump will decide whether to become directly involved in Israel's military operation in Iran within the next two weeks.