Trump highlights ceasefire win at NATO Summit as questions swirl over Iran Nuclear strikes
(NBC) During his visit at the NATO Summit in the Netherlands, President Donald Trump is promoting what he describes as a significant diplomatic accomplishment: a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Iran that seems to be holding for the time being. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he personally pushed the prime minister of Israel to abandon a planned retaliatory strike.”You need to call back the planes,” I said. It’s sufficient. It’s sufficient. According to the President, they did.
The pause coincides with fresh doubts regarding the efficacy of previous American airstrikes against Iranian nuclear installations. Iran’s nuclear program has probably been delayed by three to six months, according to an initial assessment by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency that was quoted by three people familiar with the results. The White House is vehemently contesting the report, claiming that the evaluation is completely incorrect. Trump maintains that much more significant harm was caused by the strikes. Iran will never be able to reconstitute its nuclear program. He said, “That place is under rock.”
Nonetheless, according to one of the sources, essential components of the nuclear program are still in place, and worries about what Iran might have taken from the targeted locations prior to the assaults are mounting. The Trump administration is being accused by prominent Democrats in Congress of lying about the extent of the damage. The White House is also being criticized for postponing the confidential briefings that senators have requested. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the House Minority Leader, questioned, “What are they fleeing from?”
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Director General, Rafael Grossi, acknowledged that there was a considerable amount of damage that could be seen, but he also pointed out that the organization has not been able to thoroughly assess the underground devastation, especially at the crucial Fordow site. In an effort to find a long-term diplomatic solution, Grossi is now pleading with Iran to go back to the bargaining table.
