British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell participated in the latest round of talks between the US and Iran and assessed Tehran's proposal on the nuclear program as significant enough to prevent a rapid escalation to war. This is reported by multiple sources quoted by The Guardian.
According to participants in the talks held in late February in Geneva, Powell described the Iranian proposal as "surprising" and reported real progress in the dialogue. The meetings took place at the residence of the Omani ambassador in Cologne, near Geneva, with the British representative attending in an advisory capacity, accompanied by an expert from the British government.
Despite the planning of a new round of technical talks in Vienna, they never took place. Just two days after the Geneva meetings ended, the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran.
According to sources, Powell's participation was dictated by concerns about the lack of sufficient technical expertise in the American delegation, which included Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff. For technical support, they relied on the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi.
Diplomats indicate that the British team was surprised by Iran's proposals, which, although incomplete, represented significant progress. These include commitments to reduce the 440-kilogram stockpile of highly enriched uranium under IAEA supervision and to refrain from accumulating new stockpiles. Tehran has also proposed a three- to five-year pause in uranium enrichment, while the United States has subsequently insisted on a ten-year period.
The mediators have described the "zero stockpile" proposal as a breakthrough, and the talks have also discussed possible US participation in Iran's future civilian nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of nearly 80% of sanctions.
After the start of hostilities, talks scheduled for March 2 in Vienna were canceled.
Powell's role in the negotiations also explains London's reserved position on the US strikes. British officials have said they have seen no convincing evidence of an imminent Iranian missile threat to Europe or of Tehran's rapid acquisition of nuclear weapons. According to them, diplomatic options had not been exhausted, and military intervention was premature.