Iran has agreed to allow United Nations nuclear inspectors back into the country following two days of negotiations in Switzerland, Vice President JD Vance announced Monday, describing the move as a significant breakthrough in efforts to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Speaking to reporters in Lucerne before departing for Washington, Vance said Iranian officials were committed to readmitting inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency.
“The Iranians have agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back into their country,” Vance said. “That is a major milestone for the American people and the first step in permanently denuclearizing, or permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran, and that’s exactly what we want to do. That’s exactly what we asked to happen.”
BREAKING: VP Vance announces major progress made by the United States and its negotiating team while finalizing a deal with Iran:
“Yesterday was a very, very good day. We made a lot of good progress. We did exactly what we wanted to do… the Iranians have agreed to invite IAEA… pic.twitter.com/ExpYCS2KK2
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 22, 2026
The announcement marks one of the most concrete developments to emerge from the latest round of U.S.-Iran diplomacy, which followed months of negotiations aimed at turning a fragile ceasefire and preliminary memorandum of understanding into a broader long-term accord.
Despite the reported breakthrough, major questions remain unresolved.
IAEA inspectors have maintained a limited presence in Iran since the 12-day war between Israel and the Islamic Republic last year. However, Iranian authorities have continued to deny access to three nuclear facilities struck by U.S. forces on June 21, 2025.
Those sites are believed to contain nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium buried beneath rubble and underground structures, making access to the facilities a central issue in any future verification regime.
Vance acknowledged that a final agreement has not yet been reached but argued that negotiators had made substantial progress.
“We laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal,” he said.
“The final deal is the house. We set the foundation, we haven’t built the house, but we’ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.”
More over at The New York Post:
Vance says Iran has agreed to let UN nuke inspectors back in after two days of Switzerland talks https://t.co/QxLVCT8VrL pic.twitter.com/4joWxjz4S6
— New York Post (@nypost) June 22, 2026
