UPDATE - UK foreign secretary says 2-week window exists to achieve diplomatic solution in Israel-Iran conflict

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK AND LEDE, ADDS STATEMENTS FROM DAVID LAMMY, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff on Thursday in Washington, DC for talks.

Following the meeting, Lammy said “a window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution” amid growing hostilities between Israel and Iran.

“The situation in the Middle East remains perilous,” Lammy wrote on X. “We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.”

Lammy will travel to Geneva on Friday to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi alongside his French and German counterparts and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

The US State Department said in a statement about the meeting between Rubio and Lammy that they discussed the conflict between Israel and Iran and agreed that Iran must "never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon."

The meeting came as tensions in the region continued to rise after Israel launched airstrikes last Friday on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to carry out retaliatory strikes.

Rubio and Lammy reviewed other key areas of bilateral cooperation, including efforts to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the department.

They also spoke about next week’s NATO summit in The Hague and reaffirmed the importance of increased defense spending to secure peace and stability.