SECURITY: Europe-Iran Talks In Geneva Underway Shorty

Iran Nuances reports on X: "The joint meeting of Iran’s Foreign Minister and the Foreign Ministers of the UK, France, Germany, and the EU foreign policy chief is expected to begin shortly in Geneva."

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said moments ago, at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council, per Reuters: “Israel's attacks on nuclear facilities in Iran are grave war crimes… We are determined to defend our territorial integrity and sovereignty with all force.”
• Araghchi added, “We were supposed to meet Americans on June 15 to craft a very promising agreement on our nuclear programme,” adding that “Israel’s attack was a betrayal of diplomacy”.
• The probability of a diplomatic solution in the near-term is unclear. On the ground, Iran and Israel continue to exchange intense missile fire and Israeli and Iranian ‘red lines’ appear entrenched.
• CNN reports: “Among US officials, there were not high expectations of success for Friday’s meeting in Geneva, one US official said. But a White House official kept the door open to progress.”
• CNN adds: “The US has so far not pressured Israel to halt its strikes, sources said. And Trump said this week that his message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been to “keep going.””
• The US position appears to preclude the possibility of the US and Iran returning to direct talks. European officials also appear to have hardened their position toward Iranian enrichment, in line with Israel and the US, which could derail talks.