President Trump and Iranâs leaders have sent mixed signals on resuming nuclear talks, while new evidence called into further question Trumpâs claims that U.S. strikes obliterated Iranâs nuclear threat.Â
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Trump denied reports Monday that he is weighing a $30 billion deal with Iran that would allow for the development of civilian nuclear facilities.
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The ceasefire came after a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which started when Israel launched an attack on Tehran in June that it said was meant to prevent the country from developing a nuclear bomb. Iran has maintained its nuclear program is not intended to produce a weapon.
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Among the most headline-grabbing developments this week was the intercepted communication between senior Iranian government officials commenting that Juneâs U.S. strikes on Tehranâs nuclear sites were less devastating than expected.Â
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The Iranian officials in a phone call said the U.S. bombing of three nuclear facilities was not as damaging or extensive as had been expected, challenging Trumpâs repeated assertions that the sites and Tehranâs nuclear program were âcompletely and totally obliterated.âÂ
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The call, first reported by The Washington Post, follows debate among the intelligence community as to how damaged the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites were after the strikes.
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While Trump continues to insist the bombings destroyed all they targeted and sent Iranâs nuclear program back by years, a leaked summary from the Pentagonâs Defense Intelligence Agency found that structures underneath Fordow and Natanz were still intact and Tehran was only set back by months, as it had likely moved a significant portion of enriched uranium prior to the strikes.
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After classified briefings last week at the Capitol, Republican lawmakers have conceded that the strikes may not have wiped out all of Iranâs nuclear materials.
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Trump administration officials have not denied the Iran callâs existence but have attacked the Postâs reporting.Â
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Further contradicting Trumpâs claims, the head of the United Nationsâ nuclear watchdog said Sunday Iran could restart enriching uranium âin a matter of months.â
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Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that âone cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing thereâ when it comes to Iranâs capabilities.Â
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âThe capacities they have are there. They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that,â Grossi said on CBSâs âFace the Nation with Margaret Brennan.â
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Read the full report at TheHill.com.
