US Vice President JD Vance says Iran has agreed to allow nuclear inspectors back into the country as Washington and Tehran continue talks aimed at reaching a final deal to end the war.
Speaking in Switzerland on Monday, Vance said discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could begin “as soon as today” and that inspectors could return to Iran at some point this week.
The return of nuclear inspectors has been a key demand of the international community, although Iran has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only.
Vance said “a great deal of progress” had been made after the first round of talks between the US and Iran, echoing a joint statement by mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
According to the mediators, Washington and Tehran have agreed to a “roadmap” towards reaching a final deal within 60 days.
Vance described the talks as having laid a “very good foundation” for negotiations towards a final settlement.
Nuclear inspections
The US vice president said the nuclear issue was “probably the one we’re most excited about as Americans.”
“[This] is a major milestone for the American people and a first step in permanently… ending a nuclear weapons programme in Iran,” he said.
Tehran denies that it is trying to develop nuclear weapons and maintains that its nuclear activities are peaceful.
The issue has remained a central point of tension between Iran and Western powers since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. The agreement also allowed the IAEA to access Iran’s nuclear facilities and inspect suspect sites.
However, during Donald Trump’s first term in 2018, the US withdrew from the agreement, with Trump describing it as a “bad deal” because it was not permanent and did not address Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
Iran later suspended IAEA access to sites bombed by Israel and the US during the 12-day war in June 2025. The following month, the UN nuclear watchdog said it had withdrawn its remaining inspectors from Iran.
The 14-point memorandum of understanding signed last week by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian refers specifically to the IAEA and the issue of Iran’s stockpile of enriched nuclear material.
Regional ceasefire talks
Vance said teams had also discussed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and establishing mechanisms for “de-confliction” under the regional ceasefire.
The memorandum signed last week includes commitments to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting on “all fronts”, including Lebanon.
Qatar and Pakistan said a communication line had been established to avoid incidents and miscommunication, with the aim of ensuring safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
Both sides also agreed to the creation of a “de-confliction cell” involving the US, Iran and Lebanon, facilitated by the mediating countries, to help end military operations in Lebanon.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the first “real test” would be the Lebanon de-confliction cell.
The initial agreement called for fighting to stop on all fronts, but Israeli air strikes in Lebanon have since killed at least 67 people, while attacks by Hezbollah have killed five Israeli soldiers.
Iranian media reported that Iran’s lead negotiators left the talks in the Swiss resort of Bürgenstock on Monday, with technical discussions between the parties expected to continue.
The negotiations mark the latest attempt to contain a wider regional conflict involving the US, Iran, Israel and Lebanon, while reopening diplomatic channels around Iran’s nuclear programme.
For Tehran, the talks offer a pathway to easing pressure while maintaining its position that its nuclear programme is peaceful. For Washington, the return of inspectors is being presented as a major breakthrough in efforts to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities and stabilise the region.