Trump flexes power, nuclear negotiations with Iran... Iran reports 'serious damage' to nuclear facilities

Witkoff: "Expanding the Abraham Accords is a core goal for Trump"

The United States and Iran have agreed to meet next week to discuss nuclear issues and more.

Steven Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, said in an interview with CNBC on the 25th (local time), "We hope to reach a comprehensive peace agreement with Iran." Witkoff stated that Iran could use civilian nuclear energy without having its own independent uranium enrichment program like the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He also mentioned that one of President Trump's main goals is to expand the 'Abraham Accords', which normalized relations with the UAE and Bahrain during his first administration.

However, it is still unclear whether this agreement will include definitive clauses on the nuclear issue. U.S. President Donald Trump questioned the need for nuclear negotiations at a NATO summit press conference, noting that nuclear facilities had already been destroyed.

He said, "A nuclear agreement could be signed. I don't think it's necessary," but at the same time remarked, "It wouldn't be bad to have a document," leaving room for negotiation.

Despite being bombed and only responding in a symbolic manner, Iran shows a positive attitude about the talks. Iranian President Pezeshkian stated they are ready to resolve issues with the United States according to international norms.

Previously, President Trump indicated that his administration might consider easing economic sanctions on Iran if the country is allowed to export oil to China. Trump's rationale is that Iran will need money to rebuild, so some sanctions should be eased. From Iran's perspective, it appears willing to accept some humiliation if sanctions are lifted.

There is controversy over how much Iran's nuclear facilities were destroyed in last Saturday's airstrike. Earlier, CNN and The New York Times reported, citing initial-stage U.S. Department of Defense documents, that crucial facilities such as centrifuges were not destroyed. The documents assess that the impact will likely only delay Iran's nuclear program by several months.

President Trump and White House officials were highly incensed for two days in a row, calling such news "fake news". They even posted on social media that the CNN reporter responsible should be fired and kicked out immediately. The White House admitted that the document in question existed, but argued that it was meaningless because it was written by a low-ranking official. At the same time, they released a press statement, citing Israeli assessments, that Iran's nuclear weapons development capabilities had been set back by several years.

The Iranian government also confirmed President Trump's claims. Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded in an interview with Al Jazeera News, "Yes, our nuclear facilities have been severely damaged." He added, "(Facilities) have suffered repeated attacks, so the damage is certain. This is a technical matter, so there's nothing more to add."

In fact, even this statement's veracity is unclear. Continuing to claim that the facilities were unharmed could provoke further attacks or pressure. Therefore, the true extent of the destruction to the nuclear facilities may only become clear with time.

It is currently uncertain where Iran's roughly 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium is located. There is a possibility that Iran may once again use this as leverage in nuclear negotiations with the United States and others soon.

Washington, D.C. = Special Correspondent Sang-eun Lee selee@hankyung.com