Vance says Iran agrees to allow IAEA inspectors back to country

BURGENSTOCK, Switzerland: US Vice President JD Vance on Monday announced significant diplomatic progress with Iran, stating that Tehran has agreed to readmit international nuclear inspectors and that the strategic Strait of Hormuz has been officially reopened.

Speaking at a press briefing in Switzerland following high-stakes multilateral talks, Vance said the United States and Iran have established a solid foundation for future engagement, noting breakthroughs on halting Iran’s nuclear programme.

“The Strait of Hormuz has been formally reopened,” Vance told reporters. “Furthermore, Iran has agreed to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) back into the country.”

The Vice President indicated that technical teams are currently working on the specific details of the agreements. “U.S.-Iran technical dialogues will continue over the coming days and weeks,” he said, adding that discussions with the Iranian delegation had yielded progress across several outstanding issues.

### Regional De-escalation and Lebanon

Turning to the broader Middle East conflict, Vance emphasized that Washington is actively pursuing a comprehensive regional ceasefire. He disclosed that U.S. officials held intensive discussions on Sunday with Saudi, Lebanese, and Israeli authorities to chart a path toward halting hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

“The United States wants to ensure proper coordination among all relevant parties regarding Lebanon,” Vance stated. “We want Israel to halt its strikes in Lebanon, and we want Lebanon’s sovereignty to be fully preserved.”

While reaffirming Washington’s core foreign policy stance that “every country has the right to defend itself,” Vance reiterated that the ultimate US objective remains preventing a wider regional war.