Donald Trump announces talks between US and Iranian officials next week
United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that American and Iranian officials would talk next week, as the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel appears to be holding.
Trump told reporters at a NATO summit that he was not interested in reopening negotiations on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“We may sign an agreement. I don’t know. To me, I don’t think it’s that necessary. 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”, Trump said.
The US president helped broker the ceasefire that took effect on Tuesday.
Trump insisted that US strikes had destroyed Iran’s nuclear programme, saying it had been “blown up to kingdom come.”
“The only thing we’d be asking for is what we were asking for before about [the fact that] we want no nuclear. But we destroyed the nuclear”, he said.
He did not acknowledge a US intelligence report that said the programme had only been delayed by a few months.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said several Iranian nuclear sites had suffered extensive damage.
The United Nations agency’s inspectors need to return to Iran to re-assess the country’s nuclear capabilities following US strikes on three major sites, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday.
Iran has insisted it will not give up its nuclear programme. The country’s parliament approved a bill on Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Tuesday the end of what he called “the 12-day war” and claimed victory.
The Islamic Republic has not acknowledged any coming talks with the US.
By Rédaction Africanews
