U.S., Iran to talk next week and 'may sign an agreement,' Trump says
President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold a meeting with Iran next week but cast doubt on the need for a diplomatic agreement on the country's nuclear program, citing the damage that American bombing had done to key sites.
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'We're going to talk to them next week,' Trump said Wednesday at a press conference during the NATO summit at The Hague, without giving more details. 'We may sign an agreement. I don't know, to me, I don't think it's that necessary.'
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He reiterated that the U.S. strikes on the Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow facilities had 'obliterated' them, again disputing an American intelligence assessment that said Tehran's nuclear program had only been set back by a matter of months.
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The comments came on day two of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, ending 12 days of conflict that threatened to escalate into a wider regional war and upend energy markets. As the missiles fell silent and oil prices plunged — wiping out most of their increase during the hostilities — focus has switched to a possible next stage of nuclear diplomacy.
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Trump said the conflict was effectively 'over' after the U.S. bombing mission — though he also warned: 'Can it start again? I guess someday it can. It could maybe start soon.'
Iran has been sending signals that it's ready to resume talks, which were underway with the U.S. before Israel attacked. 'The logic of war has failed — return to the logic of diplomacy,' Iran's mission to the United Nations said Wednesday. The mission didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump's hint at new talks.
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Before Israel's June 13 attack on Iran, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff had taken the lead in five rounds of talks with the Islamic Republic, seeking a deal to replace the 2015 nuclear agreement that Trump abandoned during his first term.
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'We're hopeful for a comprehensive peace agreement,' Witkoff said Wednesday on CNBC when asked what the next steps are for diplomacy with Iran. 'We were hopeful when we first started negotiations. It didn't quite work out that way, but today, we are hopeful. The signs are there.'
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Witkoff said the U.S. has been 'having conversations with the Iranians' and that 'multiple interlocutors are reaching out to us,' adding that his 'strong sense' is that 'they're ready.'
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'For Iran, a diplomatic track makes as much sense today as it did before the attack,' said Ray Takeyh, a senior fellow at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations. 'It seems that the Iranian program was not fully disabled. This may tempt Israel or the U.S. to conduct additional strikes. A diplomatic process will obviate that possibility.'
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