At a NATO summit in The Hague, former President Donald Trump announced that the United States is preparing to hold talks with Iran “next week,” with the possibility of signing a new agreement concerning Tehran’s nuclear program. Trump said, “We may sign an agreement, I don’t know… I don’t think it’s that necessary,” downplaying the importance of upcoming negotiations. His remarks came as he dismissed an intelligence leak that questioned the effectiveness of recent U.S. military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Trump suggested the need for diplomatic talks might already be diminished following targeted U.S. strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—over the weekend. He stated, “We’re going to talk to them next week, with Iran,” and added that it might be possible to secure a commitment from Tehran that they would not pursue nuclear weapons development.
According to Trump, these recent military actions have already accomplished what diplomacy might have aimed for. “I could get a statement that they’re not going to go nuclear,” he said, implying the airstrikes might have forced Iran’s hand. The attacks follow earlier rounds of diplomacy conducted by his envoy, Steve Witkoff before Israel launched its own offensive against Iran earlier this month.
In an earlier part of the NATO summit, Trump compared the strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. “I don’t want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don’t want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing — that ended a war,” he said. Referring to the Israel-Iran conflict, Trump added, “This ended [the Israel-Iran] war. If we didn’t take [out the nuclear facilities], they would be fighting right now.”
An intelligence leak on Tuesday suggested that the U.S. attacks had delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions by a maximum of six months, prompting skepticism over the long-term effectiveness of the strikes. Trump dismissed the report, saying the true extent of the damage could not be assessed until Israel provided its own evaluation. “I think Israel is going to be telling us very soon,” he said, noting that the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) “really don’t know” how extensive the destruction was at the time of their reporting.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office responded on Wednesday, asserting that its Atomic Energy Commission had concluded the Fordow enrichment facility was now “inoperable.” Israel added that the joint U.S.-Israeli assault had “set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.”
A senior official from the DIA said the leaked report was merely a “preliminary, low confidence assessment,” emphasizing that it was not final. The assessment, the official noted, would be refined as more intelligence came in about the aftermath of the attacks.
Despite the conflicting reports, Trump, along with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, maintained a strong stance at the NATO summit, insisting the Fordow site had been “obliterated.” Trump claimed that Iran’s nuclear program had been pushed back “decades.” However, General Dan Caine, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, struck a more cautious tone on Sunday, acknowledging that while initial signs pointed to “extremely severe damage and destruction,” it would take more time for a conclusive assessment.
Meanwhile, Hegseth confirmed that the Pentagon, along with the FBI, is investigating the leak of the classified intelligence report.
Trump’s appearance at the NATO summit coincided with the implementation of a tentative ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which followed 12 days of conflict. Just a day before, Trump had criticized both sides for violating the truce and voiced particular frustration with Israel. But by Wednesday, he had adopted a different tone, saying he was “so proud” of Israel for showing restraint after what he described as a breach of the ceasefire by Tehran. “Netanyahu should be very proud of himself,” he added.
Trump also claimed that the U.S. strikes had destroyed Iran’s uranium stockpile enriched to 60 percent purity. “I believe they didn’t have a chance to get anything out [of the facilities]… It’s very hard to remove that kind of material,” he said. He expressed optimism about future relations with Iran, stating, “I think we’ll end up having somewhat of a relationship with Iran,” and asserting that “the last thing” Tehran wanted was to continue nuclear enrichment.
When asked whether the U.S. would consider launching more strikes if Iran resumed efforts to rebuild its nuclear infrastructure, Trump simply responded, “Sure.”
Talks Loom After Major Escalation
With talks set to begin next week, Trump’s comments reflect a complex mix of military assertiveness and diplomatic ambiguity. While claiming a decisive victory over Iran’s nuclear program, he also left the door open for negotiations. As both the U.S. and Israel await final intelligence assessments, the future of Iran’s nuclear ambitions—and the potential for a formal agreement—remains uncertain.
