US President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran had a \u201cmaximum\u201d of two weeks to avoid possible US air strikes, day after saying that he would make a decision within a fortnight on whether to take military action. Donald Trump added European powers would not be able to help end the Iran-Israel war, after British, German, French and EU top diplomats met an Iranian official in Geneva. \u201cIran doesn\u2019t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this,\u201d Trump told reporters as he arrived in Morristown, New Jersey. U.S. President Donald Trump presided over a national security meeting about Iran with top aides at the White House on Friday, a U.S. official said. The official also said U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is in regular contact with the Iranians, both directly and indirectly, with Qatar acting as an intermediator. Europe foreign ministers see \u2018perilous\u2019 moment, urge Iran to talk to US European foreign ministers urged Iran on Friday to engage with the United States over its nuclear programme after high-level talks in Geneva aimed at opening negotiations for a new nuclear deal ended with little sign of progress. The talks between the foreign ministers of Germany, Britain, France and the EU with their Iranian counterpart sought to test Tehran\u2019s readiness to negotiate despite there being scant prospect of Israel ceasing its attacks soon, diplomats said. \u201cThe Iranian Foreign Minister has expressed his willingness to continue discussions on the nuclear program and more broadly on all issues, and we expect Iran to commit to the discussion, including with the United States, to reach a negotiated settlement,\u201d said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. UN chief urges parties to \u2018give peace a chance\u2019 on Iran-Israel war UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded Friday with all sides to \u201cgive peace a chance\u201d in the Iran-Israel conflict, warning that the violence could spiral out of control. \u201cTo the parties to the conflict \u2014 the potential parties to the conflict \u2014 and to the Security Council as the representative of the international community, I have a simple and clear message: Give peace a chance,\u201d Guterres said, in a veiled reference to the United States, which is considering intervening militarily to support Israel. Israel and Iran\u2019s air war entered a second week on Friday and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential U.S. involvement would be made within two weeks. Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful. Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Those killed include the military\u2019s top echelon and nuclear scientists. Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. Reuters could not independently verify the death toll from either side. Trump to decide on US action in Israel-Iran conflict within 2 weeks, White House says The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump will make a decision on whether the U.S. will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks. Citing a message from Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: \u201cBased on the fact that there\u2019s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks. \u201dLeavitt told a regular briefing that Trump was interested in pursuing a diplomatic solution with Iran, but his top priority was ensuring that Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon. She said any deal would have to prohibit enrichment of uranium by Tehran and eliminate Iran\u2019s ability to achieve a nuclear weapon. \u201cThe president is always interested in a diplomatic solution \u2026he is a peacemaker in chief. He is the peace through strength president. And so if there\u2019s a chance for diplomacy, the president\u2019s always going to grab it,\u201d Leavitt said. \u201cBut he\u2019s not afraid to use strength as well I will add.\u201d Iran held direct talks with US amid intensifying conflict with Israel, diplomats say U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have spoken by phone several times since Israel began its strikes on Iran last week, in a bid to find a diplomatic end to the crisis, three diplomats told Reuters. According to the diplomats, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, Araqchi said Tehran would not return to negotiations unless Israel stopped the attacks, which began on June 13. They said the talks included a brief discussion of a U.S. proposal given to Iran at the end of May that aims to create a regional consortium that would enrich uranium outside of Iran, an offer Tehran has so far rejected. U.S. and Iranians officials did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the matter. China opposes \u2018use of force\u2019 after Trump Iran warning China said Thursday it opposed the \u201cuse of force\u201d, in response to a question about US President Donald Trump warning he was weighing US military action in the Israel-Iran conflict. Beijing \u201copposes any act that\u2026 infringes upon the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of other countries, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations\u201d, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing. China urged countries in the Middle East, \u201cespecially Israel\u201d, to cease fighting on Thursday after fresh exchanges of fire with Iran, and as US President Donald Trump warned he was weighing US military action in the conflict. \u201cChina strongly calls on all parties involved in the conflict, especially Israel, to put the interests of the region\u2019s people first, immediately cease fire and stop fighting,\u201d foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said. Trump approves Iran attack plan: WSJ President Trump told senior aides late Tuesday that he approved of attack plans for Iran, but was holding off to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program, people familiar with the deliberations said, ARY News reported quoting the Wall Street Journal. Iran\u2019s well-defended Fordow enrichment facility is a possible U.S. target; it is buried under a mountain and generally considered by military experts to be out of reach of all but the most powerful bombs. In a separate development earlier the New York Times reported, citing a senior Iranian official that Iran would accept US President Donald Trump\u2019s offer to meet soon. Explosions reported in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem as Iran fires fresh salvo of missiles Iranian media reported a new salvo of missiles fired at Israel Thursday, as the rivals traded fire for seventh day of the conflict after Israeli strikes on Iran on last Friday. \u201cThe missiles roared over Tel Aviv,\u201d the Iranian news agency Fars reported, while state television broadcast live images of the commercial hub. Sirens sounded across Israel early Thursday as the Israeli military said it detected incoming missiles from Iran. \u201cA short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward Israel,\u201d the military said in a post on Telegram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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