Trump Claims Iran Approved Nuclear Inspections As Tehran Denies IAEA Access

U.S. President Donald Trump asserted Tuesday that Tehran agreed to permanent international inspections of its nuclear program, a claim Iranian officials deny.

The contradiction emerges following the initial round of talks in Switzerland aimed at resolving the broader Middle East conflict.

Washington and Tehran recently entered a 60-day memorandum of understanding to settle issues encompassing sanctions relief and Iran's nuclear operations.

Trump stated that Iran fully agreed to the highest level of nuclear inspections long into the future.

He claimed this concession would ensure "nuclear honesty" and serve as a prerequisite for further negotiations.

Iranian officials earlier Tuesday refuted the assertions made by Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that Tehran has held no meetings with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and has no plans to permit inspections.

Conflicting Claims on IAEA Access

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Ali Bahreini, corroborated the foreign ministry's stance.

He confirmed that there is no decision to allow inspectors back into the country.

Tehran initially blocked the U.N. nuclear watchdog from its sites following a 12-day war in mid-2025.

During that conflict, U.S. B-2 stealth bombers deployed bunker-busting munitions on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

The full extent of the damage to those sites remains unknown.

Trump previously claimed the facilities were completely obliterated during the strikes.

Financial Disputes and Sanctions Relief

Beyond the nuclear inspection dispute, the two nations remain at odds over the terms of sanctions relief.

Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar announced a roadmap to draft a final agreement, establishing four dedicated negotiating groups.

The U.S. Treasury temporarily lifted certain sanctions on Iran, authorizing the production and sale of crude products until mid-August. However, friction persists regarding the release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian funds.

Trump stated Tuesday that the released funds will enter a U.S.-controlled escrow account restricted exclusively to purchasing American food and medical supplies, such as corn, wheat, and soybeans.

Vance had reiterated that the assets remain heavily restricted.

Iranian officials firmly rejected this framework. Bahreini stated that the Islamic Republic alone will dictate how its released funds are utilized.

Conflicting Accounts Regarding Hormuz As Well

In exchange for the purported nuclear concessions, Trump stated he would allow the strategic Strait of Hormuz to remain open without a naval blockade.

However, U.S. vessels will remain in place should a blockade need to be reinstituted.

Iran's top negotiator, Ghalibaf, countered that the Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war free passage conditions.

He stated the vital trade route will be administered by Tehran in accordance with international law.

Despite the rhetorical clash, maritime tracking firm Kpler reported a wartime record of 35 commodity carriers transiting the waterway on Monday.

Trump noted that 19 million barrels of oil flowed out of the strait, pushing global oil prices downward.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is touring Gulf allies targeted during the war, including the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain.