A hastily arranged phone call between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly upended the latest round of nuclear talks with Iran, according to diplomatic sources. The call, which took place on Tuesday evening, is understood to have hardened Israel’s position just as British mediators believed they had narrowed the gap between Washington and Tehran.
The development comes as the United Kingdom intensifies its behind-the-scenes shuttle diplomacy, with Foreign Office officials shuttling between capitals to salvage a deal that has been in the works for months. The talks aim to reinstate the 2015 nuclear accord, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which limited Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. The agreement collapsed in 2018 when the Trump administration withdrew and reimposed crippling economic penalties.
According to multiple diplomatic briefings, the Trump-Netanyahu call focused on Iran’s recent acceleration of enrichment activities. The prime minister is said to have pressed for a tougher stance, arguing that the current draft does not adequately address Iran’s ballistic missile programme or its support for regional proxies. Within hours of the call, Iranian negotiators were informed that key provisions previously accepted by the US were now in dispute. A senior Iranian official described the reversal as “deeply unhelpful” and warned that it could derail the entire process.
British sources, however, caution that the talks are not yet dead. The UK, along with France and Germany, has maintained a direct channel of communication with Iran throughout. In a statement released late Wednesday, the Foreign Office confirmed that its diplomats were “actively engaging all parties to prevent the negotiation window from closing”. The statement emphasised that a diplomatic solution remains the only viable path to preventing Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon.
The timing of the disruption is particularly concerning. Iran has installed thousands of advanced centrifuges and now possesses enough near-weapons-grade uranium to build a bomb in a matter of weeks. While intelligence agencies assess that Iran has not made the political decision to weaponise, the margin for error is shrinking. Each diplomatic setback shortens the timeline for a potential military confrontation.
The Trump administration’s internal divisions are also complicating matters. While some advisors favour a return to the deal, others see it as a failure and advocate for maximum pressure combined with covert action. The president’s own views remain unpredictable, a reality that European counterparts have learned to navigate with caution.
For the UK, this represents a test of its post-Brexit diplomatic influence. Having left the European Union, it is eager to demonstrate that it can still project soft power and broker international agreements. Downing Street has invested significant capital in the Iran file, with senior officials holding repeated meetings with their Iranian and American counterparts. The prime minister is also expected to raise the issue during his upcoming visit to Washington.
Meanwhile, Iran has signalled that it will not wait indefinitely. Its chief nuclear negotiator warned that “time is running out for the international community to make a choice between cooperation and confrontation”. The warning was accompanied by an announcement that Iran would begin testing more advanced centrifuges, further reducing the breakout time.
The crunch point is approaching. US and Israeli officials are scheduled to hold further consultations next week, while the E3 countries have called for an emergency session of the IAEA Board of Governors. The physics of nuclear enrichment do not pause for politics. Each day without a diplomatic resolution brings the region closer to a point of no return. The calm urgency of the situation demands that all parties recognise the consequences of failure. The window is still open, but it is closing fast.
