European Troika Heads to Geneva to Prevent Escalation to Most Dangerous

France, Britain, and Germany, known as the European troika, are trying to stop the expansion of the war and prevent it from sliding into catastrophic scenarios. These countries are making intense diplomatic efforts to extinguish the fire of the Iranian-Israeli war.

Since US President Donald Trump announced a two-week deadline to decide on participating in an attack on Iran, fears have been escalating about what is to come.

Reuters quoted a European diplomat as saying, "The Iranians cannot sit with the Americans while we can. We will tell them to return to the table to discuss the nuclear issue before the worst-case scenario occurs, and we will address our concerns about its ballistic missiles, support for Russia, and detention of our citizens."

Ministers from Britain, France, and Germany, along with the EU's foreign policy chief, spoke with Zarif earlier this week and are coordinating with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

In a rare call, they emphasized to Zarif the need to return to the negotiating table and avoid further escalation. Based on Iran's proposal, the two sides agreed to meet face-to-face.

The talks are being held in Geneva, where in 2013, an initial agreement was reached between Iran and world powers to limit its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions before reaching a comprehensive agreement in 2015.