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Inspections dispute erupts
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran had “fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!),” while Tehran denied any plan for IAEA inspections of its bombed nuclear facilities.
Vice President JD Vance had announced Monday in Switzerland that Iran agreed to grant the International Atomic Energy Agency access to its nuclear sites, calling it a “major milestone for the American people.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei rejected the claim, saying there was “no plan for IAEA inspections of its nuclear facilities damaged by the war” and that officials had not met with the director general of the nuclear watchdog.
The dispute unfolded as the ceasefire memorandum Trump signed at the Palace of Versailles gave the U.S. and Iran 60 days to resolve “the hardest disputes,” including “the fate of Iran’s uranium stockpile” and the Strait of Hormuz.
NBC News reported that the U.S. and Iran were in dispute Tuesday over whether Tehran had agreed to allow U.N. inspections of its nuclear sites, as technical talks continued in Switzerland.
Strait of Hormuz and votes
While the inspections argument continued, Trump said there was “no rush” for inspectors to begin, and he insisted the IAEA would be on the ground “at the appropriate time.”
Iran’s chief negotiator told state media Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will “never return to its pre-war conditions,” and Iran will maintain control of the vital waterway.
CBS News said Monday was the busiest day for transits of the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, with 35 commercial vessels crossing the waterway, citing data from Kpler.
The Senate on Tuesday approved a House-passed war powers resolution on Iran in a 50 to 48 vote, directing the president to “remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” unless Congress declares war or authorizes military force.
CBS also reported that U.S. immigration officials would allow the Iranian World Cup team to enter the country two days ahead of their match against Egypt on Friday, easing prior entry restrictions.
Assets, working groups, and leverage
The negotiations also turned on unfrozen Iranian assets and how they would be used, with Trump saying the money would be “controlled by the U.S.A., and will be used for the purchase of food and medical supplies, exclusively from the United States.”
“The United States has waived sanctions on Iranian oil for 60 days following the first day of talks for a peace deal, with US President Donald Trump saying he will “do what I have to do” if Iran does not stick to its side of the agreement”
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, rejected any role for others in those decisions, saying, “Iran is the only country to decide what to do with its assets.”
Al Jazeera reported that the U.S. waived sanctions on Iranian oil for 60 days, freeing up an estimated 67 million barrels of oil stored on boats and tankers in the Gulf.
Al Jazeera also said the parties established “a communication line” regarding the Strait of Hormuz to “avoid incidents and miscommunication with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.”
In parallel, The Times of Israel reported that Iran said technical talks in Switzerland concluded and that negotiating groups would be set up on nuclear issues and sanctions, with IRNA quoting Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on four working groups: “Sanctions Termination, Nuclear Affairs, Reconstruction and Economic Development, and Monitoring and Implementation.”
