Europe, Iran foreign ministers meet, testing water for nuclear talks

European foreign ministers met their Iranian counterpart on Friday hoping to test Tehran's readiness to negotiate a new nuclear deal despite there being scant prospect of Israel ceasing its attacks soon, diplomats said.

European ministers spoke in advance to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who signalled the US is open to direct talks even as it considers joining Israeli strikes intended to smash Tehran's nuclear capacity, the sources said.

Washington did not confirm that, though broadcaster CNN quoted a US official saying President Donald Trump supported diplomacy by allies that could bring Iran closer to a deal.

"The Iranians can't sit down with the Americans whereas we can," said a European diplomat. "We will tell them to come back to the table to discuss the nuclear issue before the worst-case scenario, while raising our concerns over its ballistic missiles, support to Russia and detention of our citizens."

The ministers from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, plus the European Union's foreign policy chief, met separately in Geneva prior to talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi that began mid-afternoon.

Tehran, under mounting pressure to agree tough curbs on its nuclear programme to prevent the potential development of an atomic weapon, has repeatedly said it will not talk to the Trump government until Israeli attacks end.

Two European diplomats said the E3 did not believe that Israel would accept a ceasefire in the immediate term and that it would be difficult for Iran and the US to resume negotiations. That meant they would use Friday's talks to test Iran's appetite to begin negotiations with the E3 immediately.

The diplomats said the proposal would centre on a parallel track in negotiations, initially without the U.S., on a new deal that would involve tougher inspections, also potentially even on its ballistic missile programme, while allowing Iran some notional enrichment capacity.

Given the escalation in the conflict, the two sides would aim for a quick political framework to get concessions from Iran and a ceasefire before entering in-depth negotiations. A third European official said he was not optimistic as the E3 demands were quite extensive and Iran still had some strength.

Enrichment differences

The Trump administration is demanding Iran stop uranium enrichment altogether, whereas the E3 have in past talks left it some scope to enrich for civil ends in exchange for extremely strict international inspections.

On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron shifted closer to Trump's position, saying that any new deal with Tehran needed to go towards zero enrichment.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters Iran is ready to discuss limitations on its uranium enrichment but said the prospect of zero enrichment would undoubtedly be rejected, especially while Israel was attacking.

In a speech at the United Nations in Geneva before the E3 meeting, Araqchi accused Israel of a "betrayal of diplomacy", while Israel's envoy in Geneva raised a "vehement objection" to the minister addressing the U.N.'s Human Rights Council.

Geneva was the scene of an initial accord between Iran and world powers to curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions lifting in 2013 before a comprehensive deal in 2015.

Separate talks between Iran and the US collapsed when Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic capabilities on June 12.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke to Rubio on Thursday night, during which Rubio said Washington was ready for direct contact with the Iranians, a diplomatic source said.

The main message Europeans will pass to Araqchi is that the US has signalled readiness for direct talks, but that Iran must give a serious signal, two European diplomats said, without defining what the signal should be.

While diplomats did not expect a breakthrough in Geneva, they said it was vital to engage with Iran because once the war stopped the nuclear issue would remain unresolved given that Tehran would still retain the scientific know-how.

Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether to join Israeli strikes.