Geneva: Europeans Urge Iran to Accept Zero Enrichment of Uranium

Only through dialogue can a way out of the crisis be achieved, stated French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Baro today (June 20, 2025) in Geneva, Switzerland. He met with his counterparts from the UK, David Lam, Germany’s Joch Van Tefoul, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaga Kalas, as they negotiated with Iranian diplomatic head Abbas Aragtsi. France, based on recent statements by President Emmanuel Macron, is expected to propose an ‘integrated negotiation offer’ to Tehran. This includes access for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to all facilities to proceed towards zero nuclear enrichment, control of ballistic missile activities, cessation of funding terrorist groups destabilizing the region, and the release of hostages. The goal of the meeting, according to French diplomatic sources, is to seek a diplomatic solution to the war through strict control of Iran’s nuclear program. These sources noted that in the last 24 hours, European countries have multiplied their calls for de-escalation, possibly making this a ‘last chance meeting.’ According to French media reports, the intention of Europeans is to implement the model adopted in Iraq after the international coalition war under the U.S. in April 1991. The UN Security Council had approved a resolution obliging Saddam Hussein to disarm biologically, chemically, and ballistically. If the European trio succeeds, it will attempt to present the outcome to President Trump to restart negotiations with Tehran and pressure Israel for a ceasefire or at least a temporary halt to military operations. However, as French analysts point out, recent signals—the movement of new American forces in the Middle East, Trump’s statements, and the confidence exuded by Israeli leaders—leave little room for optimism. In Paris, as noted by the newspaper L Opinion in a current article titled ‘For France, the preventive war of the Jewish state is not the right choice for the final resolution of issues posed by the Iranian nuclear threat,’ after a week of Israeli strikes, no one is convinced of the effectiveness of the military route as a means of permanent restriction of Iran’s nuclear program. Even if there is a delay in the program, as estimated, specific references indicate that while installations in Natanz and Isfahan suffered surface damage, the uranium enrichment plant in Fordo remains operational. ‘Even the American GBU-57 bomb (capable of penetrating 80 meters of ground) does not seem capable of destroying a center whose some installations are located at a depth of 400 meters, let alone Iran’s ability to relocate equipment and stockpiles,’ states the relevant publication. It concludes: ‘For France, the best guarantee that the Islamic Republic does not acquire nuclear weapons remains the strict control of its nuclear program by the IAEA. Because even if all armaments were destroyed, the knowledge and experience of Iranian scientists would allow Tehran to quickly restore enriched uranium reserves, regardless of governance. European diplomats’ hopes are limited. Everything will depend on the negotiating margins given to Minister Abbas Aragtsi by a regime where multiple centers of power constantly clash. If Europeans fail, some fear the emergence of a scenario akin to North Korea, where Iran changes strategy. Instead of remaining a ‘nuclear threshold’ power, it might start a race against time to acquire the bomb through a fully illegal program.