US Vice President JD Vance stated on Monday that Iran had agreed to invite International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back into the country, describing the move as a “major milestone” and the first step towards permanently ending an Iranian nuclear weapons programme. Speaking from the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland after the first round of talks under a preliminary deal, Vance said conversations with the IAEA could begin “as soon as today”. However, neither Iran nor the IAEA has publicly confirmed the claim, and Iranian officials offered a markedly different account of the negotiations.

From Washington’s perspective, the prospective return of inspectors — barred from Iran’s main enrichment sites since US and Israeli strikes in June 2025 — would allow verification of an estimated 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, a stockpile the IAEA says could, if further processed, yield material for up to ten nuclear weapons. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, however, characterised the nuclear discussion as merely a “brief presentation” of positions, not the start of formal negotiations. He said the Iranian delegation withdrew from the quadrilateral meeting after what it termed threatening and insulting statements by President Donald Trump on social media, and that formal talks would only commence once points in the memorandum of understanding — including enforcement of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon — are implemented.

Mediators Pakistan and Qatar, who facilitated the preliminary accord signed electronically last week, reported “encouraging progress” and said the parties had agreed on a roadmap towards a final deal within 60 days. A joint statement noted the establishment of a high-level committee to oversee the process and a conflict-management cell to address ceasefire violations in Lebanon. The Lebanese presidency separately confirmed a call with Vance, presidential adviser Jared Kushner and Qatar’s prime minister to discuss consolidating the truce, after a weekend of Israeli strikes that Lebanese authorities said killed over 100 people. The mediators also announced a mechanism to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, a waterway Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had threatened to close again in response to the Lebanon violence.

The talks are the first stage of a two-month negotiating period set out in the memorandum, which also saw Washington issue a licence allowing Iran to resume oil exports until 21 August. Technical teams from both sides are to continue meetings at the Qatari-owned resort for the rest of the week. The 2015 nuclear agreement, by comparison, took roughly two years to negotiate. While Vance said a “very solid foundation” had been laid, the absence of Iranian confirmation on inspections and the conditional resumption of dialogue underscore the distance between the parties as they move into detailed discussions on sanctions relief, uranium stockpile dilution and regional security arrangements.