Tehran, 23 June (H.S.):
Iran on Monday rejected claims by US Vice President JD Vance that Tehran had agreed to allow international nuclear inspectors into the country, maintaining that any cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would continue strictly under its existing legal obligations.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the country's engagement with the United Nations nuclear watchdog would remain governed by the Safeguards Agreement signed with the IAEA, as well as Iranian domestic laws and decisions taken by the Supreme National Security Council.
Speaking after the latest round of US-Iran technical talks held in Switzerland on Monday, Baqaei said Iran had not accepted any new commitments regarding international inspections beyond its existing obligations.
His remarks came in response to statements made by US Vice President JD Vance, who described the first day of negotiations in Switzerland as productive. Vance told reporters that the talks had laid a strong foundation for a possible final agreement and claimed that Iran had agreed to permit nuclear inspectors into the country while strengthening inspection mechanisms to ensure it could not develop nuclear weapons.
According to Iranian officials, however, the discussions in Switzerland did not include negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme or any agreement on expanded inspections. Iranian sources familiar with the talks also said Tehran had not made fresh commitments related to its nuclear activities.
The diplomatic discussions are part of broader efforts by Washington and Tehran to ease tensions over Iran's nuclear programme, uranium enrichment activities and regional security issues. Both sides are also exploring the possibility of a wider agreement aimed at reducing conflict and restoring diplomatic engagement.
Iranian officials said that any future negotiations on nuclear-related matters would depend on the implementation of previously agreed provisions contained in a broader memorandum of understanding between the two countries.
The differing accounts from Washington and Tehran highlight the challenges facing ongoing diplomatic efforts, with both sides presenting contrasting interpretations of the progress made during Monday's negotiations in Switzerland.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
