Vice President JD Vance announced Monday that Iran has agreed to invite International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back into the country after the first round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Switzerland.
The move marks an early breakthrough in the Trump administration’s high-stakes push to permanently end Iran’s nuclear weapons program after U.S. and Israeli strikes hit key nuclear sites.
The United States had wanted the first round of talks to conclude with Tehran inviting U.N. inspectors to visit its major nuclear facilities, which had not been inspected since before the war began in June 2025.
Vance said coordination between Iran, the U.S. and the IAEA could begin quickly.
Vance said coordination between Iran, the U.S. and the IAEA for such a visit will take place “this week, maybe as soon as today.”
Iran has not yet publicly confirmed the inspection invitation.
Vance did not say what level of access inspectors would receive, but he described the development as a major first step.
“It’s a major milestone and a first step in permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the U.S. and Iran had agreed on the release of some frozen Iranian funds, though Vance said that has not happened yet.
The Iranians also signed an agreement with Qatar over the use of Iranian assets in that country.
The Treasury Department issued sanctions waivers allowing Iran to sell oil freely, as agreed under the memorandum of understanding.
Vance acknowledged during a brief press conference Monday that Iran’s negotiating team had threatened to walk away after President Donald Trump posted warnings on Truth Social threatening to attack Iran.
But Vance said the talks never actually collapsed.
“We told the Iranians yesterday. ‘When you guys engage in what we millennials call trash talk, you can’t expect the president of the U.S. not to respond and not to correct the record.’ … So yes, there was a little bit of threatening and a little bit of whining but at the end of the day the talks continued and we made great progress.”
The talks were mediated by Qatar and Pakistan and stretched more than 18 hours Sunday at the Burgenstock ski resort.
A joint statement released after the talks said the parties agreed to form a high-level committee to oversee negotiations, along with working groups focused on nuclear issues, sanctions and dispute resolution.
The U.S. and Iran agreed on a roadmap to reach a final deal within 60 days, according to the statement.
The parties also agreed to establish a “communication line” on the Strait of Hormuz while negotiations continue, with the goal of avoiding incidents, preventing miscommunication and maintaining safe passage for commercial vessels.
The U.S. and Iran also agreed to form a “deconfliction cell” with Lebanon and the mediators to help enforce the ceasefire in Lebanon.
Vance said progress had been made on nuclear issues beyond inspections, though he cautioned that much work remains before any final deal is reached.
He said the U.S. team remained in close contact with Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon throughout the talks.
Vance also said no frozen funds have been released yet, but that the parties agreed on a mechanism to spend any such money on the needs of the Iranian people, including purchases of American soybeans.
“We are not imposing a deal on the region. It’s a deal the region asked us to put in place.”
The announcement gives the Trump administration a diplomatic win after weeks of tension, threats and delays tied to fighting in Lebanon and uncertainty over Iran’s willingness to negotiate seriously.
Still, a final nuclear deal remains far from certain.
The memorandum of understanding itself was difficult to reach, and even Sunday’s meeting faced delays before negotiators finally sat down in Switzerland.
Vance said technical teams will continue negotiations in Switzerland after he and other senior officials depart.
For the Trump administration, the message is clear: Iran is at the table, inspectors may soon be back on the ground and the White House is trying to turn military pressure into a final deal that blocks Tehran from getting the bomb.
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