US will hold talks with Iran ‘next week’: Trump

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States would hold talks with Iran next week, hinting at the possibility of a deal even as he took credit for US strikes that, according to him, devastated Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure.

Trump described the recent military actions as resulting in the “total obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear program, and said the offensive had pushed the country's atomic ambitions back by “decades.”

However, US intelligence leaks cast doubt on this assessment, suggesting the damage may have only stalled Iran’s nuclear efforts for a few months.

Prior to Tuesday’s ceasefire agreement, Israel had carried out a 12-day bombardment targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, marking the most intense escalation between the two rivals in decades. Iran retaliated with multiple missile barrages aimed at Israeli territory.

The United States entered the conflict in support of Israel, striking two nuclear facilities with bunker-buster bombs over the weekend, while a guided missile launched from a submarine reportedly hit a third site.

“They’re not going to be building bombs for a long time,” Trump said, repeating his claim that the strikes set Iran’s programme back “decades.” He added that the ceasefire he had declared was holding up “very well.”

Speaking to reporters later, Trump remarked that both Israel and Iran appeared “tired, exhausted,” and that nuclear talks were scheduled with Tehran for “next week.”

“We may sign an agreement. I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, they had a war, they fought, now they’re going back to their world. I don’t care if I have an agreement or not.”