Contradictory accounts emerged from Washington and Tehran on Monday over whether Iran had agreed to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back into the country, following the first round of high-level talks in Switzerland. US Vice President JD Vance told reporters that Iran was “allowing weapons inspectors, nuclear inspectors into their country for the first time in a long time,” and President Donald Trump later posted that Iran would agree to inspections to ensure “nuclear honesty.” Within hours, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated that Iran’s interactions with the IAEA would continue “in accordance with Iran’s obligations under the safeguards agreements” and existing domestic procedures, and that “no new commitments” had been made. The talks, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, are part of a 60-day negotiating window established by a 14-point memorandum of understanding signed remotely last week.

Viewed from Washington, the claimed inspection concession was presented as a major breakthrough. Vance described it as “a major milestone” and a foundation for a “truly transformed Middle East,” while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent linked a newly issued 60-day licence allowing Iran to produce, transport and sell oil to Tehran’s agreement on inspections and free transit through the Strait of Hormuz. In Tehran, however, officials and state-affiliated media pushed back sharply. Baghaei insisted that nuclear issues were not discussed during the 18-hour negotiating session and that any access to damaged nuclear facilities or arrangements concerning enriched uranium stockpiles would depend on a final agreement. The IRGC-linked Tasnim news agency went further, calling the American claims “very damaging” and arguing that admitting inspectors would collapse Iran’s policy of “nuclear ambiguity,” which it described as a deterrent against US military action.

The dispute exposes the gap between the public diplomacy of the two sides and the technical challenges ahead. According to Iranian officials, a law passed by parliament last summer suspended routine cooperation and inspections, though selective access has continued for the Bushehr nuclear power plant, most recently during a fuel reloading operation supplied by Russia. The IAEA has not inspected the three key facilities struck by US forces in June 2025. The US position, articulated by Vance, is that verification cannot rely on words alone and that the inspection regime must be bolstered to ensure Iran can never develop a nuclear weapon. Iranian interlocutors maintain that any inspector presence remains subject to the final agreement and the decisions of the Supreme National Security Council.

The 14-point MoU commits both sides to an immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts, the removal of the naval blockade on Iran, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and a reconstruction and economic development plan for Iran valued at a minimum of $300 billion. It also reaffirms Tehran’s pledge not to develop nuclear weapons. Technical teams from both countries remain at the resort in Burgenstock to continue detailed negotiations. With the 60-day window only just opened, the contradictory interpretations of what was agreed on inspections signal that the path to a comprehensive settlement remains fragile and heavily contested.