Vice President JD Vance said Iran has agreed to allow United Nations nuclear inspectors back into the country, describing the development as a “major milestone” in ongoing negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Vance said Iran’s invitation for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) marks the first step toward what he called the “permanent termination of Iran’s weapons program,” though he provided no details on the scope of access that would be granted.
He said discussions with nuclear inspectors could begin as early as Monday, but it remained unclear whether Iran would allow access to all requested sites, including facilities previously targeted by U.S. and Israeli strikes.
The IAEA did not immediately respond to Vance’s remarks, according to The Wall Street Journal. Director General Rafael Grossi is in Switzerland participating in the talks, where one of his key objectives is to secure renewed access for inspectors to nuclear sites damaged during the strikes.
Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful. However, the United States and Israel have accused Tehran of enriching uranium at levels that could support weapons development and of pursuing activities inconsistent with civilian nuclear use.
Washington has pushed for Iran to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, while Tehran has demanded sanctions relief and insists on retaining its right to enrich uranium under international agreements.
Vance made the comments from the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland following talks mediated by Qatar and Pakistan that extended into Monday. He said U.S. and Iranian delegations, led by Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf, were also making progress on related issues, including tensions in Lebanon and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We have laid a very good foundation for a successful final agreement,” Vance said, while cautioning that significant work remained before any deal could be finalized.
Following U.S. and Israeli strikes on three major Iranian nuclear facilities in June last year, IAEA inspectors withdrew from the country citing security concerns and have not returned on a sustained basis since then.
Iran has since permitted limited inspections at select sites, including the Bushehr nuclear reactor. However, access to Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan — facilities damaged in the attacks — has not been granted, raising concerns among international monitors.
Restoring full inspection access is considered critical to assessing the extent of damage and determining whether Iran retains the capability to resume large-scale uranium enrichment in the future.
U.S. officials have previously said they believe Iran is not currently enriching uranium, a key component in both civilian nuclear energy and weapons development.
The IAEA is also seeking clarity on Iran’s uranium stockpiles, including material enriched close to weapons-grade levels. The agency has assessed that some of these reserves may be stored in underground tunnel networks beneath the Isfahan facility, complicating verification efforts.
