Vice President JD Vance described the first day of high-level negotiations with Iran in Switzerland as productive, stating that a "good foundation" was established for ongoing technical discussions.
Speaking at a news briefing following the conclusion of the talks at the Bürgenstock resort, Mr. Vance indicated that consensus was reached on international access to Iranian nuclear sites, alongside advancements in several technical areas.
"The Iranians have agreed to invite I.A.E.A. inspectors back into their country," Mr. Vance announced, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency. He characterized this as a "first step toward permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran."
However, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, was quoted by the official Iranian state news agency IRNA as stating that Iran had made "no new commitments" regarding inspections. Iran previously permitted international inspections under the 2015 agreement designed to limit its nuclear program but restricted them following the U.S. withdrawal in 2018 and later excluded independent inspectors after alleged U.S.-Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities.
The United States is seeking guarantees from Iran that it will not covertly develop nuclear weapons as part of the comprehensive agreement the two parties aim to finalize within 60 days. Iran has consistently maintained that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons, despite enriching uranium to levels significantly exceeding those necessary for civilian purposes and approaching those required for atomic bombs.
