Iran Denies Allowing Nuclear Inspectors, Contradicts US VP Vance

Iran has contradicted claims made by United States Vice President JD Vance that Tehran agreed to permit international nuclear inspectors into the country. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei stated on Monday that Iran's engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue strictly under existing safeguards obligations and domestic legal frameworks.

Speaking to Iran's state-run news agency IRNA after recent US-Iran technical talks in Switzerland, Baqaei said interaction with the UN nuclear watchdog will be based on the Safeguards Agreement between Tehran and the IAEA. 'Iran's interactions with the Agency, in accordance with Iran's obligations under the Safeguards Agreements, will continue according to existing procedures and comply with the laws enacted by the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the decisions of the Supreme National Security Council,' Baqaei told IRNA.

Vance had claimed after the talks that Iran agreed to allow nuclear inspectors as part of progress in negotiations. Speaking at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland, he described the first day of talks as 'very, very good' and said the discussions had laid the groundwork for a possible final agreement. 'We laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal,' Vance said, adding that inspection mechanisms would be strengthened to ensure Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons.

However, sources familiar with the talks told IRNA that Iran did not discuss its nuclear programme during the negotiations and did not agree to any new commitments. The sources said future nuclear negotiations under a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding would depend on implementation of Paragraph 13 of that agreement.

The differing accounts from Washington and Tehran highlight the challenges in advancing diplomatic efforts on contentious nuclear and security issues. The talks in Switzerland aim to address longstanding tensions, including Iran's uranium enrichment activities and regional security concerns.