Mediators speak of 'encouraging progress' in peace talks between the US and Iran US President Donald Trump said this Monday (22) that Iran will allow "major inspections" of its nuclear plants. Tehran, on the other hand, stated that it made no commitments regarding its atomic program during the 1st round of post-war talks. "Everyone is fully aware that Iran will agree to allow major weapons inspections to ensure 'nuclear honesty' far into the future," Trump said on his Truth Social social network. ✅ Follow g1's international news channel on WhatsApp Trump's statement came hours after US Vice President JD Vance said that Iran agreed to allow nuclear inspectors into the country and that talks on inspections could possibly begin as early as this week. "The Iranians have agreed to invite IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors back," Vance said.
The vice president also stated that the talks were "very good" (read more below). Without explicitly mentioning Vance's statement, Iran stated that it did not agree to anything regarding its nuclear program during the round of negotiations in Switzerland held on Sunday.
According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, Tehran "did not negotiate on its nuclear program nor accept new commitments in Sunday's talks with the US." ➡️ Vance participated on Sunday (21) in the first round of negotiations between Iran and the United States after the two countries signed the agreement to end the war in the Middle East. Post-agreement talks will address still unresolved points, mainly the future of the Iranian nuclear program.
The deadline for negotiations is 30 days. Despite the back-and-forth between the US and Iran on Monday, mediators Qatar and Pakistan stated in a communiqué after the negotiations in Switzerland that the two countries agreed to create a working group to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. 👉 The IAEA is a UN body that regularly monitors nuclear power plants around the world to ensure the facilities do not produce atomic bombs.
The agency had been inspecting Iranian plants since the 1970s, after the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons entered into force. But inspections were halted in 2021 when Iran suspended a protocol of the treaty, limiting IAEA visits to spot-check visits. The withdrawal came after US President Donald Trump himself, during his first term in the White House, broke a nuclear deal that his predecessor, Barack Obama, had made with Iran.
Baghaei also said on Monday that the Iranian government's interaction with the IAEA will continue "in accordance with current procedures" — of restrictive and limited access for the nuclear agency's agents. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian displays his signature on a memorandum of understanding with the US, on June 18, 2026 Iranian Presidential Office via AP 1st round of talks was 'very good', Vance says Also on Monday, Vance stated that the first round of talks was "very good" and created a "good foundation for a successful final agreement." The talks took place in Zurich, Switzerland.
In addition to Vance, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf, who is also the chief negotiator with the US, participated. "We laid the foundation.
We didn't build the house, but we established a solid foundation to reach a good outcome for the American people," Vance stated. Meanwhile, Iran stated that there was “significant progress” toward ending the fighting in Lebanon and considered the talk the first real test of the negotiations. But the talks also had turbulent moments.
During the negotiations, US President Donald Trump threatened to attack Iran again if Hezbollah, the Lebanese terrorist group, did not stop attacking northern Israel. Israeli forces have been carrying out harsh and extensive attacks on Lebanon, which have already left 4,000 dead since the beginning of March according to local authorities, with the argument of targeting the terrorist group.
But the talks in Zurich, which began Sunday morning and extended into early Monday morning, managed to bypass the discomfort and progressed.
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