Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at diplomatic efforts to end the Israel-Iran conflict, a landmark vote in the U.K. Parliament, and the diminishing power of Taiwan’s opposition.
Two Weeks of Diplomacy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his counterparts from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in Geneva on Friday to discuss the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, which marked its eighth day with both sides launching another barrage of missiles.
European leaders are hoping that a diplomatic solution can be achieved in the next two weeks—a deadline that U.S. President Donald Trump imposed on Thursday to decide whether to order direct U.S. military involvement against Iran. But Friday’s talks dissolved with no major breakthroughs, and both Iran and Israel remain adamant that negotiations cannot occur while strikes carry on.
“We do not want to negotiate with anyone while the Zionist regime’s aggression continues,” Araghchi said in an address broadcast on Iranian state TV on Friday. “It is the Americans who want talks.”
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, cast similar doubts on the effectiveness of negotiations. “We have seen diplomatic talks for the last few decades, and look at the results,” Danon said, adding that Israel would only consider a genuine effort to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Such a proposal may be in the works. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe was preparing a deal to end the conflict that would include Iran reducing its uranium enrichment to zero, restricting its ballistic missile program, and ending its funding of proxy groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah. This deal will likely be rejected, though, as Tehran maintains that it has the right to enrich uranium on its soil for civilian purposes.
Israel first launched strikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure last Friday, hitting uranium enrichment facilities, top military leaders, and other alleged command centers used by the Iranian government. Iran has retaliated with hundreds of drones and missile strikes, and it pulled out of nuclear talks with the United States originally scheduled for last Sunday.
This week, Trump called for unconditional surrender from Iran, which went ignored; took partial credit for control of Iranian airspace; and suggested that the United States might consider assassinating Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump will do “what’s best for America,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. “I can tell you that they’re already helping a lot.”
It is unclear whether Trump will order U.S. armed forces to assist Israel directly by targeting Iran’s nuclear sites. Such an attack would likely include U.S. B-2 bombers dropping bunker buster bombs on Fordow, a major underground uranium enrichment facility in Iran.
But experts warn that U.S. involvement to that scale could exacerbate the conflict and produce dangerous results. Armed attack on nuclear facilities “could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the state which has been attacked,” Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warned the United Nations Security Council on Friday.
Today’s Most Read
- The Many Ways U.S. Involvement in the War on Iran Could Go Badly by Howard W. French
- Israel’s Long Road to Regional Dominance by Michael Hirsh
- What Regime Change Means in Iran by Arash Azizi
What We’re Following
Landmark vote in London. The U.K. Parliament voted on Friday to legalize assisted dying for terminally ill patients. The legislation would apply only to mentally competent adults in England and Wales with six months or less to live. After receiving 314 votes in favor to 291 against, the bill now heads to the House of Lords for scrutiny, where it is expected to eventually pass.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party did not issue a formal stance on the bill, leading lawmakers to vote their personal choice rather than along party lines. An initial vote last November approved the legislation by 330 votes, signaling that some parliamentarians have since changed their minds. Starmer, himself, voted in favor on Friday.
Passing the divisive legislation puts the United Kingdom on course to follow Australia, Canada, and some U.S. states in permitting assisted dying with the help of a medical professional. Those in favor argue that the bill would give terminally ill individuals greater control over their own lives; however, the legislation’s opponents fear that it could put already vulnerable groups at greater risk of coercion.
Diminishing power. Taiwan’s Central Election Commission approved recall petitions on Friday for almost half of the opposition party’s lawmakers. Twenty-four members of the Kuomintang (KMT) will face a vote on July 26 to potentially be removed from parliament. If the votes succeed, then the opposition could lose its legislative majority until the next general elections are held in 2028, giving President Lai Ching-te the support he needs to strengthen the country’s defenses against China.
Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party urged people on Friday to vote “yes” and “oppose the communists” who have hindered the president’s security goals. However, the KMT has called on voters to select “no” to “oppose the green communists and fight against dictatorship.”
In Taiwan, a recall vote can be issued if more than 10 percent of eligible voters in a legislator’s district back a petition demanding one. The lawmaker will be unseated if more than 50 percent of voters turn out and more than half of those people vote in favor. The ousted parliamentarians would not be eligible to run in the ensuing by-elections, to be held later this year.
A deferential tone. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faced growing calls for her resignation on Friday after a recording was leaked on Wednesday of her negotiating with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen. Paetongtarn has been accused of being too soft toward the Cambodian leadership at a time when a border dispute has soured relations between the historically friendly neighbors.
Late last month, an armed skirmish in a contested area killed one Cambodian soldier. Both sides have blamed the other for instigating the attack, and the resulting diplomatic headache has led to travel bans, restrictions on Thai fruit and vegetable imports, and boycotts of Thai movies and TV shows.
On Wednesday, Hun Sen posted the 17-minute phone conversation after a shorter version was leaked online, saying he was doing so to “avoid any misunderstanding or misrepresentation in official matters.” In the recording, Paetongtarn can be heard calling Hun Sen “uncle” and referring to a Thai army commander in charge of the border area as an “opponent.” Some argue that Paetongtarn was trying to appease Hun Sen, but others believe that her wording made Bangkok look weak in the face of potential conflict.
Paetongtarn apologized for her conversation on Thursday, and Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Cambodian ambassador to formally protest what it called a “breach of diplomatic etiquette.”
What in the World?
The G-7 leaders’ summit began on Sunday in which country?
A. United Kingdom
B. Canada
C. Italy
D. France
Odds and Ends
Getting a root canal can be a terrifying experience without any additional stress. But for dozens of patients in the Czech Republic, their procedures had the added complication of being done by a fake dentist. Local authorities on Wednesday said they had arrested a 22-year-old posing as a dentist—as well as his two assistants—for practicing without a license or expertise. All three individuals have pleaded guilty and could face up to eight years in prison for illegal business, money laundering, attempted battery, drug dealing, and theft. Smile for the mugshot.
And the Answer Is…
B. Canada
U.S. President Donald Trump departed the meeting early, leaving the bloc with less ability to coordinate on the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Iran wars, FP’s Keith Johnson reports.
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The post Europe Seeks Diplomatic Solution to Israel-Iran Conflict appeared first on Foreign Policy.
