The Trump administration's final assessment after the strike on Iran's nuclear facilities will be key to advancing nuclear deal negotiations

As the Trump administration moves from a military strike against Iran to diplomatic negotiations, the final military and intelligence assessment will be critical to future Iranian nuclear negotiations. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff will need to use this final battlefield damage assessment, including details of damage to facilities and the location of nuclear materials, to develop US diplomatic strategy.
Despite President Trump's claim that Iran's nuclear program had been "completely destroyed," the Defense Intelligence Agency's initial assessment shows that the attack did not destroy core components of the country's nuclear program. Former officials stressed that even if the facilities were severely damaged, it would not mean the program itself was completely destroyed.
Experts say the return of the UN nuclear watchdog to Iran should be a priority in future talks with Iran. However, Iran's parliament this week suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over its role in the US and Israeli attacks. As the IAEA obtains less information, there are huge gaps in the world's knowledge of Iran's nuclear stockpile, particularly regarding where Iran enriches uranium.