<p class="p1"><span class="s1">KABUL (Pajhwok):</span><span class="s2"> The ongoing air war between Israel and Iran entered its second week on Friday, as European diplomats pushed to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">This diplomatic effort comes amid escalating hostilities and a statement from US President Donald Trump indicating that a decision on potential American involvement will be made within two weeks, according to Reuters.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">Israel launched airstrikes against Iran last Friday, stating its objective was to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">In response, Iran carried out missile and drone attacks targeting Israel. Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, Israeli airstrikes have killed 639 people in Iran, including senior military leaders and nuclear scientists. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">In retaliation, Iranian missile attacks have reportedly killed at least two dozen Israeli civilians, though Reuters has not independently verified the casualty figures from either side.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">“Are we aiming to topple the regime? That could be a consequence, but ultimately, it’s up to the Iranian people to fight for their freedom,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">With tensions still high, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany, along with the EU’s foreign policy chief, were scheduled to meet Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Geneva on Friday in an attempt to de-escalate the conflict.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">“Now is the time to stop the worsening crisis in the Middle East and avoid a broader regional war that serves no one’s interest,” said British Foreign Minister David Lammy ahead of the meeting.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met with Lammy on Thursday and spoke separately with his counterparts in Australia, France, and Italy.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">The US State Department emphasized that all parties agreed on one point: </span><span class="s3">Iran must never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon</span><span class="s2">.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">Lammy reiterated that position on X, while warning that the situation in the region remains “extremely dangerous” and that there is “a narrow two-week window to reach a diplomatic resolution.”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping condemned Israel’s actions and jointly called for de-escalation, according to the Kremlin.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">The United States’ position remains ambiguous. Trump’s special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, has reportedly had multiple discussions with Araqchi in recent days. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">The White House announced that President Trump would participate in a national security meeting on Friday morning. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2">Trump has oscillated between issuing stern warnings to Iran and encouraging a return to suspended nuclear negotiations.</span></p>
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