There is cautious optimism surrounding the recently brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which U.S. President Donald Trump publicly endorsed. The ceasefire, which was said to begin at midnight Eastern Time, was marred early on by limited rocket fire from both sides, though these initial violations were non-lethal. Since then, however, hostilities appear to have halted.

As signs of de-escalation emerge, Israel has begun lifting some airspace restrictions and commercial flights are gradually resuming. Markets responded positively - U.S. stock indexes posted gains, while oil prices fell, reflecting investors' hope that the fragile truce will hold.

Despite the relative calm, questions remain about the effectiveness of the recent U.S. military operation against Iran. An early assessment from American intelligence sources concluded that the airstrikes had failed to eliminate key elements of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The White House, however, disputed that conclusion.

Speaking from the NATO summit in the Netherlands, President Trump dismissed the intelligence findings, calling them "inconclusive." He insisted the strikes were devastating and claimed they inflicted massive damage on Iran’s nuclear sites. “The intelligence says, ‘We don’t know, it could have been very severe.’ That’s what the intelligence says. So, I guess, that’s correct. But I think that we can take the ‘We don’t know,’ it was very severe. It was obliteration,” Trump told reporters. He added that Iranian officials, upon inspecting the sites, found them so thoroughly damaged that they were compelled to accept a ceasefire.

Trump claimed the U.S. action set back Tehran’s nuclear program “basically decades,” justifying the attack as a decisive measure to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He maintained that, had the strikes not occurred, Iran would have continued its campaign without restraint.

Asked whether the U.S. would consider striking again if Iran moved to restart its nuclear activities, the president was unequivocal. “Sure,” he said. But he also downplayed the possibility that Iran would try again. “I don’t think they’ll ever do it again,” Trump remarked. “I think they’re going to take their oil, they’re going to have some missiles, and they’ll have some defense. I think they’ve had it. I mean, they just went through hell, I think they’ve had it. The last thing they want to do is enrich.”

Meanwhile, tensions persist on the diplomatic front. Iran’s Parliament has passed legislation to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), according to Nour News, a local outlet. Under the new measure, IAEA inspectors will be barred from entering the country unless the safety of Iran’s nuclear facilities is assured. This move comes just days after IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi urged Iran to restore its cooperation with the agency in light of recent hostilities.

Further fueling the atmosphere of unrest, Iranian authorities executed three men on Wednesday after accusing them of working for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. The announcement came via state-run media outlets including Mizan and Tasnim, the latter of which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

According to reports, the men were charged with smuggling equipment into Iran disguised as alcohol shipments - gear that was allegedly used in the assassination of a high-profile individual. Iranian authorities identified the suspects only as “Mossad spies.”

Sources:

• CNBC
• CNN
• Al Jazeera