US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will hold a press conference on Thursday to present a new assessment of the strikes that targeted Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, following a debate over the extent of the US bombing's impact on Tehran's nuclear program.
Following a wave of Israeli attacks on nuclear and military sites and an Iranian missile response since June 13, the United States bombed three major Iranian nuclear facilities early Sunday morning.
The extent of the damage to Iran, which Israel said it launched to eliminate the threat of its nuclear and missile programs, has become a controversial issue in the United States.
According to a confidential preliminary assessment published by CNN, the US strikes only delayed Iran's nuclear program by a few months, without destroying its main components.
Experts have suggested that Iran preempted the attack by emptying the targeted nuclear sites of its highly enriched uranium stockpile.
These assessments sparked angry responses from US administration officials, while President Donald Trump repeatedly asserted that the attack "destroyed" Iran's nuclear facilities, including the key Fordow facility, deep in a mountain south of Tehran.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt told Fox News, "I can assure you that the United States has received no evidence that highly enriched uranium was removed prior to the strikes," asserting that information to the contrary was "false."
She added, "As for what is at the sites now, it is buried under massive rubble as a result of the successful strikes Saturday night" (US time).
Trump said that Hegseth, whom he called his "Secretary of War," would hold a press conference at 8:00 a.m. (12:00 GMT) "to defend the dignity of our great American pilots."
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that "many key Iranian nuclear facilities have been destroyed, and rebuilding them could take years."
The Israeli military emphasized that it had dealt a "painful" blow to Iran's nuclear facilities, but stated that it was still "too early" to assess the extent of the damage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, "We have thwarted Iran's nuclear project... and if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination and intensity to thwart any attempt."
On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told Al Jazeera English that "our nuclear facilities have been severely damaged, that's for sure."
After the war derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, Trump announced that the two sides would hold talks next week, while his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed his hope for a "comprehensive peace agreement."
Trump told reporters that Israel and Iran were "weary," adding, "We might sign a deal (during next week's talks). I don't know."
Iran has repeatedly denied seeking to develop a nuclear weapon while defending its "legitimate rights" to the peaceful use of atomic energy.
It also affirmed its willingness to return to the negotiating table with Washington, after reiterating that it would not do so as long as Israeli strikes on its territory continued.
Following the ceasefire, Iranian lawmakers voted Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency. The decision requires the approval of the Guardian Council to become law.
In response, Berlin called on Tehran on Thursday to continue this cooperation.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said at a press conference in Berlin with his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, that the Majlis' decision "sends a very bad signal. I call on the Iranian government not to go down this path."
In both Iran and Israel, authorities have gradually lifted restrictions imposed during the 12-day war, which were unprecedented between the two countries.
Iran reopened its airspace in the east of the country on Wednesday but has not yet permitted flights to and from the capital, Tehran.
In the coastal city of Tel Aviv, engineer Yossi Benn, 45, welcomed the ceasefire, saying, "Finally, we can sleep in peace. We feel more relaxed and less anxious. I hope it stays that way."
After decades of shadow wars, the conflict was the most violent confrontation between Iran and Israel.
Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 627 civilians, according to the Health Ministry in Tehran.
Iranian attacks on Israel have killed 28 people, according to official figures.
Mehr News Agency reported that the funeral of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Hossein Salami, who was killed in an Israeli strike, will not be held in his hometown in central Iran on Thursday.
Authorities are holding a state funeral in Tehran on Saturday for senior scientists and military commanders killed in the war, including Salami.
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