President Trump eyes possible talks with Iran after NATO Summit and airstrikes
President Trump returned to Washington from the NATO Summit this week with momentum he hopes to carry into potential negotiations with Iran.
(NBC)- President Trump returned to Washington from the NATO Summit this week with momentum he hopes to carry into potential negotiations with Iran. Following a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran — brokered in part through behind-the-scenes diplomacy — Trump signaled that talks with Tehran could begin as early as next week. “We’re going to talk to them next week, with Iran. We may sign an agreement, I don’t know,” he told reporters, downplaying the urgency of reaching a formal deal.
The president maintains that recent U.S. airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities have already accomplished the key strategic objective: halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “I said Iran will not have nuclear. Well, we blew it up. It’s blown up to kingdom come,” Trump declared.
His comments come as a preliminary assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggests Iran’s nuclear program may only have been delayed by a matter of months. But Trump dismissed that finding outright. “They presented a report that wasn’t finished. They didn’t see it. All they can do is take a guess,” he said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later confirmed the DIA had “low confidence” in that early estimate. Meanwhile, the CIA has offered a more definitive view: citing credible intelligence that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure sustained major damage — including the critical Fordo enrichment site — and that it would likely take years to rebuild. Israeli intelligence has echoed that assessment, saying the strikes significantly rolled back Iran’s capabilities. Iran, for its part, has acknowledged severe damage at key nuclear sites, though it has not disclosed the full extent publicly.
Today, top Trump administration officials — including the CIA director — are expected to brief U.S. senators seeking details on the intelligence and the scope of the operation.
“Do we know whether the uranium was there? Do we know whether the centrifuges were there? What is the state of those facilities?” asked Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), one of several lawmakers pressing for answers.
