President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that Iran had “fully and completely agreed” to the highest level of nuclear inspections “long into the future (Infinity!!!)”, a claim immediately contradicted by Iranian officials. The dispute centres on whether International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors will be granted access to Iranian enrichment facilities damaged by US and Israeli strikes during the 2025 war. Trump, writing on his Truth Social platform, linked the alleged concession directly to his decision to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and warned that without it “there would be no further negotiations”. Hours earlier, Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, told reporters that no decision had been made on IAEA access and that a working group yet to be convened would discuss the matter.

Washington’s position, articulated by both Trump and Vice President JD Vance, is that Tehran privately committed to re-admitting inspectors and that the first visits could begin within days. US officials describe the inspections as a cornerstone of any final agreement, intended to verify the status of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Tehran, however, insists that its nuclear programme was not discussed during the initial technical talks in Switzerland. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated that no meeting had taken place with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and that there were “no plans” for the agency to inspect damaged sites. Iranian state media emphasised that cooperation with the IAEA would continue only under existing safeguards agreements and national security decisions, not new commitments.

Despite the public disagreement, tangible steps under the 60-day framework agreement are proceeding. The Strait of Hormuz, blocked by Iran after the outbreak of hostilities in February, is now open to commercial shipping without fees, and the International Maritime Organization has begun evacuating an estimated 11,000 crew members stranded on vessels in the Gulf. Trump reported that 19 million barrels of oil transited the strait on Monday, a record volume that contributed to falling crude prices. The US Treasury has suspended sanctions on Iranian oil and petrochemical exports until 21 August, and Washington says unfrozen Iranian assets will be held in a US-controlled escrow account to purchase American food and medical supplies — a condition Tehran rejects, asserting its sole authority over the funds.

The war, launched by the US and Israel on 28 February, severely damaged Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, but the IAEA has been denied access to the bombed enrichment sites ever since, leaving international monitors uncertain about the fate of Iran’s uranium reserves. The current negotiations, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, produced a memorandum of understanding that also established a de-confliction cell for Lebanon and a direct communication line to prevent miscalculations in the Gulf. Analysts in European capitals note that the inspection dispute echoes the verification battles that plagued the 2015 nuclear deal, from which Trump withdrew in 2018. With working groups on inspections and other technical issues yet to be formed, the 60-day clock is running, and the gap between Washington’s assertions and Tehran’s denials remains the most immediate obstacle to a durable settlement.