Nuclear Inspections Dispute Clouds US-Iran 60-Day Window
WASHINGTON — The United States and Iran remained at odds Tuesday over whether Tehran had agreed to allow United Nations inspectors access to bombed Iranian nuclear sites, clouding efforts to finalize a permanent end to their four-month war within a 60-day diplomatic window agreed upon in Switzerland talks last week.
The dispute surfaced a day after Vice President JD Vance told reporters in Geneva that Iran had committed to granting the International Atomic Energy Agency access to enrichment facilities struck by U.S. forces last year. Iran Foreign Ministry immediately contradicted that account, saying no such visit had been scheduled. President Donald Trump responded on social media that Iran had agreed to inspections stretching far into the future, warning that without the concession there would be no further negotiations.
The disagreement marks the first significant public fracture in the diplomatic process since the two sides agreed to a framework deal on June 15, mediated by Switzerland and Oman, that halted open hostilities and opened a 60-day period for technical negotiations on a comprehensive agreement.
Inspections Dispute Threatens Talks
Senior officials from both governments acknowledged that the conflicting accounts reflected a deeper disagreement about what commitments Iran made during the Geneva session. The U.S. has insisted that any final deal include IAEA access to sites that were damaged in American strikes last year, which Tehran contends were purely defensive military facilities and not subject to nuclear safeguards inspections.
The IAEA has declined to confirm its involvement. Director General Rafael Grossi has said any inspections framework would require Iran explicit cooperation and verification protocols acceptable to both sides.
“We have not received any request to visit those specific locations, nor has any date been set for such a visit,” Grossi told reporters in Vienna on Monday. The statement added to confusion about whether an understanding reached in Geneva amounts to a firm commitment or merely an aspirational statement in the framework document.
Iran technical delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, has maintained that sanctions relief and the unfreezing of Iranian sovereign assets held in escrow under the preliminary agreement are prerequisites for any access arrangements. The two sides have also formed working groups on reconstruction, nuclear oversight, and monitoring of the Lebanon ceasefire, according to Iran state-run IRNA news agency.
Hormuz Reopening Takes Shape
While negotiations on inspections remained deadlocked, the International Maritime Organization announced Tuesday that a plan is underway to evacuate 11,000 stranded seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage through which roughly a fifth of the world oil and natural gas passed before the war began in late February.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said his agency secured the necessary safety guarantees from Iran, Oman, and all coastal states in the region, as well as the United States and major maritime industry players, to begin moving the hundreds of vessels idled near the strait since the conflict escalated.
“We have secured the necessary safety guarantees and have thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations,” Dominguez said in a statement. The plan represents the most concrete operational agreement reached since the ceasefire took effect, though analysts cautioned that sustaining commercial traffic through the waterway will require continued deconfliction between the U.S. and Iranian navies.
Data firm Kpler confirmed 39 ships crossed the strait Monday, following approximately 92 crossings between Friday and Sunday. Prior to the war, roughly 100 vessels transited the passage daily. Iranian forces effectively closed the waterway during periods of active fighting, prompting the U.S. to threaten military action to keep the shipping lane open.
Lebanon Ceasefire Tested Again
The fragile calm in Lebanon faced a fresh challenge Tuesday when Israeli soldiers opened fire in southern Lebanon, killing two Hezbollah members who had entered a demarcated security zone on a bulldozer and motorcycle, according to the Israeli military. The incident broke two days of relative quiet following a ceasefire between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia that took effect Saturday, the longest halt in hostilities since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war erupted on March 2.
Neither side carried out airstrikes or artillery exchanges after the incident, and Hezbollah did not claim any retaliatory attack. Iran has demanded that a durable truce in Lebanon form part of any comprehensive agreement with Washington. Israel has resisted linking the two tracks, insisting it retains the right to act against militants launching attacks into northern Israel from Lebanese territory.
The talks in Switzerland were led for the United States by Steve Witkoff, the administration special envoy for the Middle East, and for Iran by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Both sides described the discussions as productive but acknowledged that major obstacles remain. The 60-day window runs through mid-August, setting a firm deadline for resolving disputes over sanctions relief, nuclear inspections, the status of frozen Iranian assets, and the Lebanon ceasefire architecture.
