President Donald Trump said that the United States would hold nuclear talks with Iran next week, teasing the possibility of a deal even after boasting that recent US strikes had crippled the Islamic republic's atomic programme. Trump credited the unprecedented US attacks with the "total obliteration" of Iran's nuclear capabilities, and said they had set the country's programme back "decades".

He told reporters that Israel and Iran were "both tired, exhausted" after 12 days of war, going on to say that talks with Tehran were planned for "next week". "We may sign an agreement. I don't know," he added. "I mean, they had a war, they fought, now they're going back to their world. I don't care if I have an agreement or not."

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had said on Tuesday his country was willing to return to negotiations, but would continue to "assert its legitimate rights" to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. But leaked US intelligence cast doubt on that assessment, saying the strikes had likely delayed Tehran by just a few months.

Before the agreement of a ceasefire on Tuesday, Israel had pounded Iranian nuclear and military sites over the course of 12 days of war, while Iran launched waves of missiles at its regional arch foe in their deadliest-ever confrontation.The United States joined the fray in support of its ally, hitting two nuclear facilities with massive bunker-buster bombs over the weekend, while a guided missile from a submarine struck a third.

"They're not going to be building bombs for a long time," said Trump, adding the strikes had set back the programme by "decades" and that the ceasefire that he declared was going "very well". He later told reporters that Israel and Iran were "both tired, exhausted", going on to say that talks were planned with Iran "next week".

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)