The negotiations aim to tackle some of the most intractable issues that have dogged US-Iranian relations for decades, including Tehran’s nuclear programme. Iranian foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said “a very brief discussion took place regarding the nuclear issue, but there was no discussion of details” and that nuclear talks had not begun. Vance, meanwhile, said Tehran had agreed to invite IAEA inspectors “back to their country”, calling it “a major milestone . and the first step in permanently denuclearising” Iran. Tehran suspended some co-operation
and blocked IAEA inspectors from accessing key nuclear sites bombed by the US and Israel in 2025’s 12-day war, but inspectors continued to visit Iran, last doing so in November. ‘Classic Trump deal’ As part of the deal, Tehran is set to get some form of sanctions relief from Washington, as well as the unfreezing of assets. Vance insisted assets had not yet been unfrozen and that, if they were, they would be used to buy US goods such as soy beans and would not
fund terrorism. He called it “a classic Trump deal, where if Iranian assets are ever unfrozen, they’re going to go to make American farmers richer and to feed the Iranian people”.
Vance, UN nuclear inspectors, IAEA, Iran nuclear program, sanctions relief, unfreezing of assets, Esmaeil Baqaei, negotiations, US-Iran relations