European, Iranian envoys set for talks as US weighs entering Israel conflict

European, Iranian Diplomats to Hold Emergency Talks as Trump Weighs US Involvement in Israel Conflict

European foreign ministers are set to meet with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in a bid to find a diplomatic resolution to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, even as US President Donald Trump considers bringing America into the fight.

The latest hostilities erupted after Israel, alleging Iran was on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon, launched airstrikes against its longtime rival a week ago. The attacks sparked deadly retaliations from both sides.

On Friday morning, sirens blared across southern Israel following missile launches from Iran, according to the Israeli army. Israel had earlier warned residents of Iran’s northern industrial hub Sefidrood to evacuate ahead of its planned strikes.

With tensions mounting, European leaders have scrambled to engage Iran diplomatically. Trump, meanwhile, said he would decide “within the next two weeks” whether to commit US forces to Israel's military campaign.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to meet with counterparts from France, Germany, Britain, and the EU in Geneva to discuss Iran’s nuclear program. After meeting US officials in Washington, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said, “a window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution.” The US State Department confirmed that Lammy and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had agreed Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the prospect of US involvement, but Russia — a key Iranian ally — warned Washington that any intervention would be “extremely dangerous.”

The UN Security Council is expected to convene again on Friday to address the growing crisis, following a request from Iran backed by Russia, China, and Pakistan.

Although Netanyahu has not openly called for the overthrow of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled the intent, saying after Iran’s strike on Israel's Soroka hospital that Khamenei "can no longer be allowed to exist."

The past week’s deadly exchanges have pushed the Middle East into a new crisis, adding to the ongoing 20-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Panic Amid Escalation

Netanyahu vowed Iran would “pay a heavy price” for Thursday’s strike on an Israeli hospital, which Iran claimed was targeting a military facility. The Soroka hospital’s director reported 40 people wounded, with several wards destroyed.

World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the attack on medical facilities as “appalling,” while UN rights chief Volker Turk decried the harm to civilians as “collateral damage.”

Inside Iran, civilians fleeing Israeli strikes described terrifying conditions marked by food shortages and internet blackouts. “Those days and nights were horrifying,” said Mohammad Hassan, a University of Tehran student who fled to Pakistan. A 50-year-old pharmacist crossing into Turkey told AFP, “People are really panicking.”

Iran imposed a nationwide internet shutdown on Thursday, the most extensive blackout since the 2019 anti-government protests, according to watchdog NetBlocks. The blackout, it said, severely hindered the public’s ability to communicate during a critical time.

Should the US join the conflict, analysts believe it would likely involve strikes on Iran’s underground Fordo nuclear facility, requiring specially developed bunker-buster bombs. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has approved attack plans but is holding off, hoping Iran agrees to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

Trump has expressed interest in finding a diplomatic solution to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons — a goal Tehran has consistently denied — and potentially replace the 2015 nuclear deal he withdrew from during his first term.

On Thursday, satellite imagery revealed that dozens of US military aircraft had been moved from a base in Qatar, likely as a precaution against potential Iranian retaliation.

Nuclear Tensions Soar

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that Iran is just “a couple of weeks” away from having enough enriched uranium for a nuclear bomb. Tehran has enriched uranium to 60%, far exceeding the 3.67% cap set by the 2015 deal, though still short of the 90% required for weapons-grade material.

Israel, while officially ambiguous about its nuclear arsenal, is believed to possess 90 warheads, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Iran’s Guardian Council issued a harsh warning, vowing a “severe response” if “the criminal American government and its foolish president” take military action against the Islamic Republic.

Israel reported striking multiple Iranian targets overnight, including the unfinished Arak nuclear reactor and a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. Iran’s atomic energy chief confirmed damage to Arak and urged the UN nuclear watchdog to intervene against what Tehran called Israel’s “violation of international law.”

Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran on Thursday night, as the Revolutionary Guards launched over 100 drones toward Israel in retaliatory attacks.

In Israel’s Bat Yam city, authorities recovered a woman’s body from a site hit by Iranian missiles, raising Israel’s death toll to 25 since June 13. Meanwhile, Iran claimed that Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 people, including senior military officers, nuclear scientists, and civilians.