President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that nuclear talks between the United States and Iran could begin as early as next week, even as he claimed that recent U.S. airstrikes had caused major damage to Iran’s nuclear programme.
Trump shared that the U.S. military had delivered powerful strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, which he said had pushed back Tehran’s progress by decades.
Speaking confidently, he said, “They’re not going to be building bombs for a long time.” However, a leaked U.S. intelligence report suggested that the damage may not be as deep as claimed, stating that Iran’s programme may have only been delayed by a few months.
The strikes took place as Israel and Iran were locked in a 12-day war, the deadliest between them in years. During the conflict, Israel targeted Iranian nuclear and military sites. Iran fired back with waves of missile attacks. The United States joined in to support Israel, hitting key nuclear sites with bunker-busting bombs and missiles launched from a submarine.
Despite the heavy fighting, Trump told reporters that both Iran and Israel appeared “tired, exhausted,” and that there was a real chance that peace talks could follow soon. “We may sign an agreement. I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t care if I have an agreement or not.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also showed willingness to return to nuclear talks. He said Iran would still defend its right to use atomic energy peacefully.
An Israeli military official, Effie Defrin, noted that while it’s too early to give full details, the attacks seemed to have caused major delays to Iran’s nuclear programme. “I believe we have delivered a significant hit,” he said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry admitted that their nuclear sites had been seriously damaged. But some U.S. media outlets cited intelligence sources who said the attacks didn’t fully destroy Iran’s nuclear material or its underground facilities, some of which were only sealed, not wiped out.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared after the ceasefire that Iran’s nuclear project had been stopped. “And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity,” he warned.
In a move that could create new tensions, Iranian lawmakers voted to cut ties with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused the IAEA of ignoring the attacks on Iran and losing its credibility.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in an interview with Al Araby Al Jadeed, warned that there could be serious consequences from the strikes. He said that Iran still respected the Non-Proliferation Treaty but hinted that its stance might change in the future.
In the aftermath of the war, both countries are still recovering. In Tehran, many shops reopened and some normal life returned. “Thank God, the situation has improved,” said Saeed, a local shopkeeper. But others, like Amir, who fled to the coast, said they were unsure if peace would last.
In Israel, citizens like 45-year-old engineer Yossi Bin expressed relief. “Finally, we can sleep peacefully,” he said.
The war took a heavy toll. At least 627 Iranians were reported dead, with thousands more wounded. In Israel, 28 people were killed by Iranian attacks.
