JD Vance Announces Iran IAEA Breakthrough as Technical Talks Continue
VP Vance announced Iran agreed to readmit IAEA nuclear inspectors, calling it a first step toward permanent denuclearization as technical talks in Switzerland continue.
Vice President JD Vance announced Monday that Iran has agreed to readmit inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the country, calling the development a significant milestone in the ongoing nuclear negotiations and a first step toward what he described as the permanent dismantlement of Iran's nuclear weapons program.
Speaking to reporters before departing Switzerland following a full day of talks, Vance said the agreement was reached overnight, which is why inspectors had not yet been dispatched. "They will return this week," he said. "I hope that happens today."
"We had a very good day yesterday, with very significant progress," Vance said. "The Iranians agreed to reinvite the IAEA inspectors to their country. This is a significant milestone for the American people, and the first step toward permanent denuclearization or a permanent end to the nuclear weapons program in Iran."
Vance also pushed back on Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed, while offering a more nuanced characterization of the situation than a straightforward denial. The strait is open, he said, but the two sides have worked to establish a coordination mechanism specifically to allow for demining operations in the strait, so that if confrontations arise in the future, they can be managed without escalating. "That is exactly what we did," he said.
On Lebanon, Vance outlined what he described as a parallel coordination mechanism designed to manage ceasefire violations in real time. "We wanted to make sure there are appropriate coordination mechanisms so that if there really is shooting, if Hezbollah fires at Israel or if Israel responds, we can talk to each other and figure out how to stop the shooting and make the region safer," he said.
Asked directly about Israel's role in the process, Vance was emphatic that Jerusalem has been consulted throughout. "The Israelis have been very clear that they have no territorial ambitions in Lebanon. They are there only to prevent fire on Israel. That will take time, and for that, Iran needs to restrain Hezbollah. We are in continuous contact with the Israelis throughout this process, as we are with all our regional partners, the Saudis and the Lebanese. This is not a deal we are imposing on the region. The region asked us to advance the deal."
Vance acknowledged that the Iranian delegation had threatened to walk out of the talks but ultimately did not. Technical teams from both sides, he said, would continue working in Switzerland in the days and weeks ahead alongside Qatari and Pakistani interlocutors, under appropriate supervision. "We have established today the process for the technical negotiations that will follow," he said. "I am returning to the United States now, but our technical teams will continue to work here."