JD Vance Says Iran Agreed to Nuclear Inspections at Switzerland Talks

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Iran agreed to allow international inspections of its nuclear program, which he said would restore a safeguard from President Barack Obama’s deal with Tehran that President Donald Trump threw out.

Vance spoke Monday at a news conference at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, saying it was "a major milestone for the American people" and "the first step in permanently denuclearizing or permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran."

Al Jazeera

The Washington Post reported that U.S. and Iranian officials were working with mediators from Qatar and Pakistan to turn last week’s fragile ceasefire into a more comprehensive peace agreement.

The ceasefire memorandum Trump signed at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday gave the U.S. and Iran 60 days to resolve their hardest disputes, including over the fate of Iran’s uranium stockpile and the Strait of Hormuz.

Vance said the Strait of Hormuz remains open and that Sunday’s negotiations focused on a "mechanism" for keeping it open.

The Washington Post said the Iranians threatened to walk out Sunday after Trump warned the U.S. may “hit Iran very hard again,” but negotiators stayed past 1 a.m. local time with a team of technical experts still present.

Vance told reporters, "when you guys engage in what us millennials might call trash talk, you can’t expect the president of the United States not to respond and not to correct the record," and he denied Trump’s threat threw “a wrench into the system.”

Al Jazeera

In Switzerland, Al Jazeera reported that Qatar’s PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the network that safeguards have been put in place to prevent US-Iran negotiations from regional escalation, including tensions in Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz.

The Jerusalem Post quoted the Qatari PM telling Al Jazeera that "There are parties that want to sabotage the negotiations" and said it was "Unacceptable that Israel killed nearly 100 Lebanese in just a few days during the ceasefire."

The Washington Post said the Treasury Department waived sanctions on Iranian oil for the 60-day ceasefire period, and it said the relief was expected to modestly increase the price Iranian barrels can fetch, mostly in sales to China.

“- Technical talks to continue in Switzerland this week under Islamabad MoU framework - Lebanon de-confliction cell and Hormuz communication line established after US-Iran talks ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar said in a joint statement on Monday talks between the US and Iran had produced a roadmap toward reaching a final agreement within 60 days, with the parties also agreeing to establish new mechanisms aimed at preventing clashes in Lebanon and safeguarding commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz”

Arab News

Vance said conversations with inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency could happen as soon as Monday, while questions about where and when inspectors will be allowed to expand their activities remained to be discussed in ongoing technical negotiations.

Open Magazine reported that Vance said any potential release of Iranian assets would include strict safeguards so the capital cannot be diverted towards financing terrorism, adding, "If we ever unfreeze Iranian assets, we can ensure that Iranian money goes to help the people of Iran and not to fund terrorism."

The Jerusalem Post said the Qatari PM described the negotiations as including "mechanisms" to address the Strait of Hormuz and said, "According to the memorandum of understanding, Iran commits within 60 days to providing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz."

The Washington Post also reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government did not sign the agreement and that U.S. intelligence warned Netanyahu would probably undermine it by continuing the attacks in Lebanon.