US, UK top diplomats align on Iran policy, discuss Ukraine and NATO

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy held a high-level meeting in Washington to coordinate their positions on Iran, the ongoing Ukraine conflict, and defence priorities within NATO, according to a statement released by the U.S. State Department.

The two diplomats focused heavily on the escalating Israel-Iran conflict, Caliber.Az reports.

“They discussed the conflict between Israel and Iran and agreed that Iran will never be allowed to develop or acquire nuclear weapons,” the statement said.

Rubio and Lammy also addressed broader areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly ongoing international efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Their meeting comes ahead of the upcoming NATO summit, where defence spending and alliance security are expected to dominate the agenda.

Both sides “reaffirmed the importance of increasing defence spending to ensure peace and stability,” the statement noted.

The talks took place amid heightened speculation about the next steps in U.S. policy toward Iran, as President Donald Trump considers whether to formally join Israel’s ongoing military campaign.

"I may do it. I may not do it," Trump told reporters after returning from the G7 summit in Canada. "I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do."

Tensions between Israel and Iran, long locked in a shadow war, escalated dramatically following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which Tehran is widely believed to have supported.

The conflict entered a new and more direct phase last week when Israel carried out a major strike on Iranian nuclear facilities on June 13, 2025. The operation severely damaged key infrastructure and killed several high-ranking Iranian military officers and nuclear scientists.

Iran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons and claims its nuclear program is purely peaceful, has retaliated with missile attacks on Israeli targets.

According to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group, at least 639 people have been killed in the recent Israeli strikes on Iran, including 263 civilians.

The latest bulletin released by the Israeli PM's Office says that 24 people lost their lives during Iranian strikes on Israel, while 800 people sustained various injuries.

By Tamilla Hasanova