President Donald Trump made surprising comments about Iran during a NATO summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday. He said his administration plans to resume talks with Iran next week, even after recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump also said he would not oppose Iran selling oil to China to help rebuild after the conflict.
The president’s remarks came just days after US forces targeted Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan over the weekend. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei confirmed that the country’s nuclear facilities had been “badly damaged” by the American strikes. However, there are conflicting reports about how much damage was actually done.
Trump defended his position by saying both countries had earned respect through their actions. “They just had a war. They fought it bravely. They are in the oil business and they are going to need money to put that country back into shape,” Trump said. He added that if Iran wants to sell oil, it should be allowed to do so.
Trump says Iran’s nuclear program has been destroyed
The president claimed that Iran’s nuclear capabilities have been completely eliminated. “We destroyed the nuclear, it’s blown up to kingdom come. I don’t care very strongly about it,” Trump said during the summit. He disagreed with earlier media reports that suggested the strikes only set back Iran’s program by a few months.
Trump said his administration received new intelligence after the initial damage reports. This included information from sources inside Iran who had direct access to the nuclear sites. “We have also spoken to people who have seen the site. The site is obliterated. Everything nuclear is down there,” the president stated.
Several US media outlets had previously reported that some of Iran’s centrifuges remained intact after the strikes. CNN cited unnamed sources from a Defense Intelligence Agency assessment. Trump confirmed the leak was real but accused news outlets of not telling the whole story. He said the assessment mentioned damage could be either limited or very severe.
The International Atomic Energy Agency lost track of 409 kilograms of highly enriched uranium just five days into the conflict. This amount could potentially be used to make 10 nuclear weapons if Iran chose to pursue that path. Reports suggest Iran may have moved uranium stockpiles before the US attacks, possibly after receiving advance warning.
Both Iran and the US had been in nuclear talks before the recent strikes. These discussions focused on limiting Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Iran remains willing to return to negotiations. Trump announced he plans to resume these talks next week, though he expressed little concern about whether a final agreement is reached.
Published: Jun 26, 2025 02:22 pm