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Trump convenes National Security Council but Israeli PM seems to speed up. Talks scheduled in Geneva. Macron:"EU offer to negotiate". Islamic Republic:"3 hospitals hit in one week"

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  VIDEO – Iranian Minister: “Israel has betrayed diplomatic work with the US”

• “We view the Iranian nuclear program with great concern. It is of fundamental importance for Germany that Israel’s security interests are protected. We will give priority to this in all future discussions,” said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at the end of the Geneva summit. “The entire region is in an extremely critical situation and our common goal is to avoid further escalation and to progress in the negotiations,” he stressed, indicating that US involvement in the negotiations “is of fundamental importance.”
• “We have been clear: Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.” This was reiterated by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the end of today's meeting in Geneva with his colleagues from Germany and France (the so-called E3 group) with the head of Iranian diplomacy against the backdrop of the war with Israel. Lammy spoke of"ongoing discussions" that are set to continue, saying that"it is enormously important" to avoid further escalation between Israel and Iran; but also “urged” Tehran to “continue talks with the US” on the nuclear issue.
• The European foreign ministers (Jean-Noel Barrot for France, David Lammy for Great Britain and Johann Wadephul for Germany, as well as the EU foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas) today told their Iranian interlocutor in Geneva, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, that they want to “open negotiations because Europe believes that there is no definitive solution for the Iranian nuclear issue through military action, which can delay but not eliminate” the problem: this was stated at the end of the Geneva talks by French Minister Barrot.
• “The Iranian minister has expressed his willingness to continue discussions on the nuclear program and on all issues. We await the opening of discussions, including with the United States for a negotiated solution to the conflict”. This was stated at the end of the Geneva talks between Europeans and Iran by the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot.
• Iran does not intend to stop nuclear enrichment, which Tehran claims is for peaceful purposes, but concessions are possible:"Maybe it can be lower, but we will not stop it." This was stated by Majid Farahani, an official of the Iranian presidency, to CNN while the talks are underway in Geneva. The diplomatic channel with Iran - he then added - could"easily" resume if US President Donald Trump ordered the Israeli leadership to stop attacks against Iran: "He can easily stop the war with just one phone call to the Israelis."
• "There are indications that Israel would violate its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement." This is explained, according to several European sources, in the report requested from the External Action Service as part of the review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The report was presented to the meeting of the Permanent Representatives of the 27 this afternoon. The report refers to the war in Gaza.
• The IDF Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, said that the Israelis must prepare for a “sustained campaign” against Iran, in order to “eliminate a threat of this magnitude”. “The campaign is not over. Although we have achieved significant results, difficult days still lie ahead and we must remain vigilant and united until the mission is completed,” he said in a video cited by the Times of Israel. In the video, Zamir said that Iran has been “building a clear plan to destroy the State of Israel for years” and that in recent months “the plan has reached the point of no return, where the capabilities have reached the operational level”. “The IDF will not stand by and watch as threats develop. As part of an emerging doctrine, we will act proactively and preemptively to prevent an existential threat and address any challenge,” he said, adding that Israeli forces had been “preparing for this operation for years” and that it was launched “due to the convergence of operational and strategic conditions.” “Had we delayed, we would have risked losing these conditions and entering the campaign in the future from a position of distinct disadvantage.” Zamir said the IDF’s initial “surprise” strikes against Iran “achieved extraordinary results.” Alongside the offensive, “the defense of the home front continues. This is a challenge unlike any we have known so far. The enemy, in its weakness, deliberately targets civilians, as we have experienced once again in the recent bombing,” he said.
• “It is not too late for Iran to do the right thing. President Donald Trump has been clear in recent days that the leadership in Tehran must completely abandon its nuclear enrichment program and any aspirations to acquire a nuclear weapon. The Iranian government has long posed a constant threat to the peace and security of its neighbors and the entire world, which this Council is charged with preserving,” said the acting US ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, speaking at the Security Council. “While the United States is not involved in Israel’s actions, there is no doubt that it continues to support Israel and its actions against Iran’s nuclear ambitions,” the American ambassador to the UN added, specifying that the leaders of the Islamic Republic “could have avoided this conflict if they had agreed to a deal that would have prevented them from obtaining a nuclear weapon. But they refused to do so, choosing instead to delay and deny.”