Following two days of intensive negotiations in Switzerland, Vice President JD Vance announced on Monday that Iran has agreed to permit United Nations nuclear inspectors back into the country. This development marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to address Iran’s nuclear program. Speaking at a press conference in Lucerne before departing for Washington, Vance described the agreement as “the first step in permanently denuclearizing, or permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran.”

Despite the announcement, Iranian officials issued conflicting statements regarding the scope and approval of the inspections. The semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that allowing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors into Iran had not been approved by either the Iranian negotiating team or government authorities. Additionally, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei emphasized that Iran’s interactions with the IAEA would continue under the existing framework of safeguard agreements, without specifying new access or expanded inspections.

U.S. negotiators, led by Vance, aim for inspectors to identify the locations of Iran’s estimated 1,000 pounds of near-weapons-grade uranium as a preliminary step toward retrieving and down-blending these materials. The talks also yielded an agreement to unlock a portion of frozen Iranian funds for purchasing U.S. agricultural products. Following the deal, the U.S. Treasury Department lifted sanctions on Iranian oil for a 60-day period—an economic reprieve linked to the broader memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last week aimed at halting a nearly four-month-long regional conflict.

President Donald Trump expressed cautious optimism about the progress, commending the U.S. negotiating team for their work while warning that any noncompliance by Iran would result in decisive action. He described the measures to institute “major weapons inspections” as essential to ensuring “nuclear honesty” going forward. However, Vance himself acknowledged that Iran’s negotiating approach has been “confusing,” advising skepticism about contradictory information circulating through Iranian media and social networks.

The talks also addressed broader regional security concerns, including mechanisms to manage disputes over the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global shipping route—and to uphold the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar have proposed establishing a “de-confliction cell” involving the U.S., Iran, and Lebanon to monitor compliance with the cessation of military operations. While Israel has not signed the cease-fire and has criticized the agreement, U.S. officials maintain ongoing communication with Israeli, Lebanese, Saudi Arabian, and Emirati counterparts to stabilize the situation.

Questions remain over accessing certain Iranian nuclear sites, including three facilities previously targeted by U.S. strikes during Operation Midnight Hammer, which have remained off-limits to inspectors since 2018. The renewed opening to the IAEA would partially restore safeguards suspended after the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The recent diplomatic engagement also carries political implications within the U.S. administration. While Vance has been the public face of the negotiations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio—known for his skepticism of past nuclear deals with Iran—has maintained a lower profile on the issue, though officials insist he supports the administration’s approach.

As the 60-day cease-fire period unfolds, the success of these diplomatic efforts will be closely watched by regional actors and the international community, given the potential impact on Middle East stability and nonproliferation goals.