• European foreign ministers prepare for nuclear talks with Iran amid escalating conflict.
• Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi refuses U.S. talks while Israeli strikes continue.
• Fatalities in Iran rise sharply due to Israeli airstrikes as both nations intensify military exchanges.
• U.S. President Trump weighs military involvement, giving Iran a two-week timeframe for negotiations.
• EU officials emphasize the need for continued diplomacy to avoid further escalation.

Foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany, and the European Union are set to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva, aiming to address Tehran's nuclear program amid a backdrop of escalating violence following Israel's military campaign against Iran. This meeting is the first significant diplomatic engagement since the conflict's intensification, as Israeli airstrikes began targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites on June 13, 2025, leading to retaliatory missile strikes from Tehran, according to SCMP, Channel News Asia, and Le Monde.

As negotiations are underway, Araghchi has made it clear that Iran will not engage in talks with the U.S. while Israel's military aggression continues. "We have nothing to discuss with anyone as long as this aggression persists," he stated, dismissing U.S. overtures for negotiations and branding Washington as complicit in Israeli actions. This rejection of U.S. dialogue was echoed in statements made by Iranian officials across multiple platforms, emphasizing that Iran's focus remains on diplomatic solutions with European allies, according to Al Jazeera, Newsweek, and India Times.

The ongoing warfare sees a rising death toll, with Iran reporting hundreds of civilian casualties due to Israeli airstrikes. Reports from Iranian officials indicate at least 639 fatalities from the assault, while Israeli casualties have reached around 24 due to missile strikes, highlighting the severe human cost of this intensified conflict. Israel's strikes aimed to dismantle Iranian nuclear capabilities in response to what they term an existential threat, according to Africa News, India Times, and Le Monde.

As Iranian and European officials engage in dialogue to de-escalate the situation, U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that he may take military action if meaningful negotiations do not commence within two weeks. Analysts have expressed skepticism about the potential for successful diplomacy amid ongoing hostilities and the entrenched positions of both Iran and Israel, underlining the complex geopolitical landscape currently at play, according to India Times, NPR, and NPR.