DUBAI. Israel and Iran appeared to maintain a fragile ceasefire for a second consecutive day on Wednesday, as U.S. President Donald Trump announced that American and Iranian officials are expected to hold talks next week, offering a glimmer of hope for long-term peace.
Speaking at a NATO summit, Trump, who helped broker the ceasefire that took effect Tuesday after 12 days of war, stated that he was not particularly interested in restarting negotiations with Tehran, claiming that U.S. airstrikes had already destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities. “We may sign an agreement, I don’t know,” Trump told reporters. “The way I look at it, they fought, the war is done.”
Iran has yet to confirm any upcoming talks. However, U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff said there has been direct and indirect communication between the two countries. A planned sixth round of negotiations in Oman earlier this month was canceled following Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.
Iran’s parliament voted to fast-track a proposal that would suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf criticized the IAEA for failing to condemn the U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, stating that Iran’s peaceful nuclear program would continue at an accelerated pace.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he had contacted Iran to resume inspections, emphasizing the need to reassess Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. “We need to return. We need to engage,” Grossi said. He added that Iran is legally obligated to cooperate under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed hope that Tehran would return to the negotiating table. Macron has reportedly held several discussions with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the conflict.
Grossi warned that the IAEA had lost oversight of sensitive nuclear materials during the hostilities and urged a swift resumption of inspections. “Now that hostilities have ceased, I believe it is in everyone’s interest that we resume our activities as soon as possible,” he said.
While Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, Israeli officials argue that Tehran retains the capability to quickly build a nuclear weapon. The Israel Atomic Energy Commission claimed that joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions “by many years,” although no evidence was provided to support the claim.
Trump said the strikes, which targeted three major Iranian nuclear facilities using B-2 bombers and bunker-buster bombs, “completely and fully obliterated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. When asked about a U.S. intelligence report suggesting the setback was only temporary, Trump insisted it would take Iran years to rebuild.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei confirmed that the strikes had caused serious damage, though he refrained from giving specifics. He noted that the bill before Iran’s parliament only proposed suspending IAEA cooperation, not ending it altogether, and reiterated Tehran’s right to pursue a nuclear energy program.
Witkoff told Fox News that the objective of “total destruction of the enrichment capacity” had been achieved and that the ceasefire had fulfilled Iran’s demand for Israel to end its attacks. “The proof is in the pudding. No one’s shooting at each other. It’s over,” he said.
An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, said the ceasefire represented a “quiet for quiet” agreement with no commitments regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
Witkoff added that Trump now aims to negotiate a “comprehensive peace agreement” and confirmed that both direct and indirect discussions are ongoing. “The conversations were promising,” he said.
However, Baghaei accused the U.S. of undermining diplomacy by targeting nuclear sites and warned that Iran’s national security remains the top priority. “We have to make sure whether the other parties are really serious when they’re talking about diplomacy,” he said.
Grossi urged all parties to take advantage of the ceasefire to reach a long-term diplomatic solution. “Out of the bad things that military conflict brings, there’s also now a possibility, an opening. We shouldn’t miss that opportunity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency released a rare video detailing its operations in Iran during the conflict. Mossad chief David Barnea thanked the CIA for its support, saying Israeli operatives helped “strike the Iranian nuclear project” and “reduce the missile threat.”
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Israel’s military chief of staff, said commandos operated “deep inside enemy territory” during the war.
Iran reported 606 deaths and 5,332 injuries from the conflict. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group estimated a higher death toll of at least 1,054, including 417 civilians and 318 security personnel. In Israel, at least 28 people were killed and over 1,000 were wounded.
In response to the conflict, Iran executed six prisoners accused of spying for Israel, including three on Wednesday.
