Washington
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into “infinity, despite Tehran’s denials, and that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used to buy humanitarian supplies from the United States.
Washington agreed to waive sanctions on Iran for 60 days from Monday after the first round of talks under a nascent peace deal agreed last week on ending more than three months of war.
US Vice President JD Vance said the talks with Iranian officials in the Swiss mountain resort of Buergenstock laid a good foundation for a final accord and that Tehran had agreed to allow nuclear inspectors back into the country.
But Iran denied it had begun discussions on its nuclear programme at the talks, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, and said it had not agreed to invite back International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in an address on Tuesday Iranian officials had not held a meeting with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi in Switzerland and had no plans for the UN nuclear watchdog to inspect Iran’s damaged nuclear facilities.
He said Tehran does not intend to allow IAEA inspectors access to nuclear facilities attacked by the US and Israel. “We do not intend to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit the nuclear sites targeted during the conflict,” he said.
Baghaei further denied reports of contacts with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi in Switzerland. “We have not held any meeting with the IAEA director general in Switzerland, nor are there any plans for inspections of our nuclear facilities that were bombed,” he said.
Trump hit back on Tuesday at what he said were Iran’s “protestations and false statements.” “Iran has fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!),” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He also said any Iranian assets unfrozen under the deal would be placed in an escrow account and used to buy food and medical supplies from the US “including Corn, Wheat, and Soybeans from our great American Farmers.”
