Trump-Zelensky talks confirmed for Wednesday: Ukrainian presidency source
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump will meet during the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, a senior Ukrainian presidency source told.
The source said that both sides are expected to make brief statements ahead of the talks that are scheduled to start at around 12:30 GMT.
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Gulf Insider
2 hours ago
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There are two apt sayings for this current situation facing the White House in the wake of the Trump-ordered bombings against Iran's nuclear facilities. First, what's worse in war-time decision-making than doing the wrong thing? Doing it incompletely . Second, it is always easy to begin a war, but very difficult to stop one . And so here President Trump and his top officials find themselves, defending the 'limited' strikes and proclaiming the destruction of Iran's nuclear program and enrichment capability in the face of a skeptical media. The escalation dialectic – which the mainstream media is so good at – begins… The heat is on an the NATO summit in The Hague, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters, 'Of course we're doing a leak investigation with the FBI right now because this information is for internal purposes, battle damage assessments.' 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And here's Secretary of State Marco Rubio, somewhat hedging: '(Iran's nuclear) program today has been set behind significantly from where it was a week ago. It is in far worse shape today than it was a week ago because of US actions and because some of the actions Israelis took,' Rubio told Politico. 'So, the bottom line is they are much further away from a nuclear weapon today than they were before the president took this bold action,' he said, adding that 'very significant, substantial damage' was done to a 'variety of different components.' Iran has meanwhile admitted that nuclear sites are 'badly damaged' – perhaps in hopes of giving Trump what he wants in terms of PR to ensure the bombing will stop and ceasefire will hold; however, the Iranians have also vowed to pursue their nuclear energy program without interruption and that it remains a matter of national sovereignty. 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'Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi said the nuclear programme continues, according to Al Arabiya. White House Middle East envoy Witkoff said the US and Israel had achieved their goals in Iran, according to Fox News. He described talks with Iran as encouraging and stated it was time to sit with Iran and make a comprehensive deal. Iran's Revolutionary Guards denied there was any drone attack in the northwestern city of Tabriz following reports air defences were activated in the area, according to Iranian news sites. Israel's representative to the UN Security Council stated that Iran had been involved in producing a nuclear bomb, according to Sky News Arabia. Israel's representative to the United Nations said that diplomatic talks with Iran will take place soon, according to Al Arabiya. US is set to open its embassy in Jerusalem on June 25th, following the ceasefire between Israel and Iran and the lifting of all restrictions by Israel's Home Front Command, according to a statement. 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Daily Tribune
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As a fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel enters its second day after a fierce 12-day conflict, new revelations from U.S. intelligence cast doubt on the long-term effectiveness of American airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration that Iran's nuclear capabilities had been 'completely destroyed,' classified U.S. intelligence reports suggest the damage may have only set back the program by a few months. Conflicting Claims on Nuclear Impact In a press conference, Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said Israel had delivered a 'significant hit' to Iran's nuclear program, claiming it could delay Iran's efforts 'by several years.' However, he cautioned that it was 'still early to assess the full impact.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the 12-day war a 'historic victory' and pledged to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear capabilities. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian maintained that Iran will continue to assert its right to peaceful nuclear energy, defending the country's position under international law. What US Intelligence Reports Say According to unnamed U.S. officials cited by media outlets, preliminary intelligence assessments found that many of Iran's critical centrifuges and enriched uranium stockpiles were not destroyed. Instead, the U.S. strikes mostly blocked access to facilities without demolishing the fortified underground structures. These findings appeared to frustrate President Trump, who posted on Truth Social that 'THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED!' Iran Responds Politically and Publicly In a strong response to the strikes and what Iran perceives as international inaction, Iranian lawmakers voted to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticized the IAEA for failing to condemn the attacks, saying it had compromised its global credibility. The bill must still be approved by the Guardian Council. Lives Lost and Mourning Ahead Iran announced it will hold state funerals on Saturday for top commanders and scientists who died in the conflict. Among them is Hossein Salami, chief of the Revolutionary Guards, who was killed on the first day of fighting. He will be buried Thursday in central Iran. Iran's health ministry reported that 610 civilians were killed by Israeli strikes, while official Israeli figures say 28 people were killed in Iranian attacks. Executions Spark New Tensions Adding to the tense atmosphere, Iran's judiciary confirmed the execution of three men—Idris Ali, Azad Shojai, and Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul—accused of spying for Israel and attempting to smuggle assassination tools into the country. As both nations bury their dead and re-assess their strategies, the world watches closely—wondering if the current ceasefire will hold, and what comes next for the region's already volatile nuclear future.
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