Arabian Post Staff -Dubai
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that American and Iranian officials will meet next week to discuss Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, following a concerted military campaign that he claims has effectively neutralised key Iranian enrichment facilities. The announcement came at the NATO summit in The Hague.
Trump defended the use of bunker-busting bombs against the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan sites, asserting they had been “obliterated” and describing the bombing campaign as a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear programme. He struck a triumphant tone, crediting the strikes with hastening the end of the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, though he expressed reservations about formalising a diplomatic agreement: “We may sign an agreement. I don’t know, to me, I don’t think it’s that necessary,” he told reporters.
U.S. intelligence assessments, however, diverge on the scale of success. A preliminary report from the Defence Intelligence Agency concluded the setbacks to Iran’s nuclear efforts might be limited to a matter of months, not years. CIA Director John Ratcliffe affirmed that the programme had been “severely damaged” but stopped short of declaring it destroyed. Israeli officials estimated the setbacks to be multi‑year, while the International Atomic Energy Agency emphasised uncertainties over Iran’s stockpile and called for robust inspections.
Diplomatic activity has meanwhile resumed. This U.S.–Iran meeting will follow six rounds of indirect talks mediated by Oman and Italy, which collapsed in mid‑June as the military confrontation intensified. Earlier this week, European envoys from the E‑3—France, Germany and the UK—engaged in direct negotiations in Geneva with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Those discussions aimed to bridge differences after stalled U.S. efforts.
White House special envoy Steve Witkoff reiterated red‑line U.S. stipulations ahead of next week’s meeting: Tehran must renounce nuclear weaponisation and accept restrictions on uranium enrichment. He noted the U.S. is open to crafting a comprehensive peace framework, building on what Trump described as a de‑escalation following “a victory for everybody”.
From Tehran, Iranian officials have not confirmed next week’s meeting but emphasised national security. The Iranian parliament accelerated a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, pending guarantees for the safety of nuclear infrastructure targeted in the strikes. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf accused the IAEA of failing to condemn the U.S. attack. Meanwhile, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi urged renewed inspections to clarify the status of enriched uranium moved before the bombings.
Regional and global actors are also weighing in. France has called for robust diplomacy to carve a sustained peace path. China has echoed the call for diplomatic restraint. Israel hailed the strikes as a critical setback to Iran’s programme; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed Trump’s strong posture and emphasised the need to keep pressure on Tehran.
Analysts note the gravity of waging diplomacy in the shadow of military action. One specialist observed that while bombings may degrade enrichment infrastructure, they can complicate trust and cooperation needed for inspections and verification. Moreover, uncertainty lingers over the status of highly enriched uranium caches. Rebuilding diplomatic channels will require assurances, reciprocal transparency, and a mutual understanding of consequences.
Trump has warned that if Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear programme, the U.S. is prepared to act again: “Sure,” he said when asked about further strikes. Yet the pendulum has swung toward a blend of military deterrence and diplomatic engagement.
As next week’s talks approach, key questions remain: who will represent each side, where the dialogue will occur, and whether the focus will be solely nuclear constraints or broader regional stability. White House administration officials have yet to disclose details, but the U.S. envoy confirmed Washington’s intent is to establish a framework that could replace the 2015 agreement.
Trump also signalled openness to exploring a bilateral relationship beyond nuclear confines: “We’ll end up having something of a relationship with Iran,” he said, as long as Tehran adheres to non‑weaponisation terms.
As the diplomatic window opens under the spectre of military force, the world watches to see whether this fragile blend of coercion and conciliation can unfold into a sustainable agreement—one that might ensure Iran never pursues nuclear weapons and stabilises a volatile region.
Also published on Medium.
