Vance Says Iran Agrees to Allow Nuclear Inspectors Back

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Iran has agreed to allow nuclear inspectors to return to the country after an initial round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

Vance made the announcement following talks described as the first substantive engagement between American and Iranian representatives in recent discussions on nuclear matters. He characterized the discussions as productive.

The readmission of inspectors would mark a shift in Iran's nuclear posture. International inspectors have faced restrictions on their access to Iranian nuclear facilities in recent years, a point of contention in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.

Vance did not provide additional details about the scope of inspector access, timeline for implementation, or other terms that may have emerged from the talks. He did not specify which Iranian officials participated in the discussions or outline what other agreements, if any, the two sides reached.

The announcement comes amid broader international scrutiny of Iran's nuclear activities. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, has repeatedly called for unrestricted access to Iranian facilities to verify compliance with nuclear agreements.

No statement from Iranian officials was immediately available to confirm Vance's account of the talks or the inspector agreement.