Trump says U.S. to meet with Iran next week to discuss potential nuclear deal

Speaking to members of the media on the sidelines of the NATO summit U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that Washington and Tehran will sit down next week for talks on the latter's nuclear activities while acknowledging the fragile state of the current truce between Israel and Iran.

Our political correspondent Shin Ha-young reports.

Speaking at a press conference at the end of the NATO summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. will meet with Iran next week to discuss a potential nuclear agreement, which had been put on hold amid conflict between Israel and Iran.

"We're going to talk to them next week, with Iran. We may sign an agreement, I don't know. The only thing we would be asking for is what we're asking for before, about -we want no nuclear. But we destroyed the nuclear, in other words, it's destroyed."

Although Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire after 12 days of fighting, Trump did not rule out the possibility that the conflict could reignite possibly soon.

"And they are both tired, exhausted, they fought very, very hard. And can it start again? I guess someday, it can, it could maybe start soon."

Citing a report from the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission, Trump reaffirmed that Iran's nuclear facilities were completely destroyed by U.S. military strikes last weekend.

He also criticized CNN and The New York Times for reporting that the damage was limited.

"Some great statements just came out from the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission and from Iran, as you know, there was complete total destruction. And CNN turned out to be fake news, as always. That's why they have no credibility. The New York Times and CNN make up a phony story to get some hits."

CNN reported on Tuesday that, according to an early U.S. intelligence assessment, last weekend's U.S. strikes on three of Iran's nuclear facilities did not destroy the core components of Tehran's nuclear program and likely only set it back by months.

Meanwhile, Iran's state-affiliated news outlet Nournews reported that Iran's parliament approved a bill on Wednesday to stop working with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will suspend cooperation with the IAEA until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed.

He also said that Iran will speed up its peaceful nuclear program.

This means it will no longer allow the agency to inspect or verify its nuclear sites and activities.

Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.