A sharp contradiction over nuclear inspections emerged on Tuesday between Washington and Tehran, hours after the first round of technical talks under a 60-day ceasefire framework concluded in Switzerland. US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran had “fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!)”, adding that without this concession “there would be no further negotiations”. Iranian officials immediately rejected the claim. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters in Tehran that no discussions on the nuclear programme had taken place and that there were no plans for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to visit sites damaged during the 2025 war. Ambassador Ali Bahreini, speaking in Geneva, confirmed that a working group on nuclear issues had yet to be convened and that any decision on IAEA access would follow only after other parts of the preliminary understanding were implemented.

Viewed from Washington, the inspection pledge is presented as the central guarantee of what Trump termed “Nuclear Honesty” and the precondition for further talks. Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation at the Bürgenstock resort, had stated a day earlier that Iran agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back, calling it a significant step. Trump also linked the alleged concession to his decision to keep the Strait of Hormuz open without a renewed naval blockade, though he noted US ships remain in position. On the financial track, the US president said any unfrozen Iranian assets or sanctions relief would be placed in an escrow account under American control, to be used exclusively for purchasing US food and medical supplies — specifically corn, wheat and soybeans — describing Iran’s situation as a “humanitarian crisis”.

From Tehran, the narrative is markedly different. Iranian officials insist that the country’s cooperation with the IAEA continues under existing safeguards and national legislation, with no new protocols adopted. Bahreini rejected the escrow arrangement as described by Trump, stating that Iran alone would decide how its released funds are spent, even if technical coordination with Washington and Doha is required because the assets are held abroad. Iran’s chief technical negotiator, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed that the two sides agreed to form four specialised working groups — on sanctions lifting, nuclear issues, reconstruction and monitoring — but stressed that nuclear discussions would begin only in a subsequent phase. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the technical team, announced that $12 billion in frozen funds would be released immediately, while central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati clarified there is no obligation to buy American agricultural products if alternatives are more suitable.

The factual implications on the ground are mixed. The Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly 20% of global oil trade, has seen a sharp increase in traffic: Trump cited a record 19 million barrels transiting on Monday, and data firm Kpler confirmed 39 ship crossings that day, up from near-zero during the blockade. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced a large-scale evacuation plan for some 11,000 seafarers stranded on vessels in the Gulf, carried out in cooperation with Iran, Oman, other coastal states and the US. Oil prices have declined, reflecting eased supply fears. Simultaneously, the US Treasury issued a 60-day sanctions waiver on Iranian crude and petrochemical exports, while a de-confliction cell and a direct communication line were established to prevent miscalculation over Hormuz and to stabilise the Lebanon front, where fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has tested the ceasefire.

The broader diplomatic process remains in a delicate early phase. The technical talks in Lucerne, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, produced a memorandum of understanding that sets a 60-day deadline for a final agreement. Four working groups are to be constituted, and a high-level oversight committee will supervise implementation. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Pakistan for consultations, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio began a Gulf tour to discuss the framework with Emirati, Kuwaiti and Bahraini officials. The IAEA has not commented on its potential role. The next round of political-level talks is expected within the two-month window, though the public dispute over the scope and timing of nuclear inspections signals that even the baseline commitments remain contested.