Iran To Allow UN Nuclear Inspectors Back In As JD Vance Says Frozen Assets Could Buy American Crops

Iran has agreed to allow United Nations nuclear inspectors back into the country following two days of talks in Switzerland, Vice President JD Vance announced Monday, calling the move a major step toward permanently preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“The Iranians have agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back into their country,” Vance told reporters in Lucerne before returning to Washington.

“That is a major milestone for the American people and the first step in permanently denuclearizing, or permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran, and that’s exactly what we want to do. That’s exactly what we asked to happen.”

Tehran did not immediately confirm Vance’s announcement. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have entered Iran since last year’s 12-day war between Israel and the Islamic Republic, though Iranian authorities have continued to deny access to three nuclear facilities bombed by the United States on June 21, 2025, where nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium is believed to remain buried.

“We laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal,” Vance said.

“The final deal is the house. We set the foundation, we haven’t built the house, but we’ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.”

The vice president also said negotiators had developed “mechanisms” to address disputes involving the Strait of Hormuz and the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which appeared to be holding Monday.

A joint statement from mediators in Pakistan and Qatar said a “de-confliction cell” involving the United States, Iran and Lebanon would be established to help maintain the end of military operations in Lebanon.

Vance also revealed that if a final peace agreement results in the release of frozen Iranian assets, those funds could potentially be used to purchase American agricultural products.

He credited President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, with helping develop the idea alongside Qatari officials.

“That’s a very, very good and very classic Trump deal that’s great for our people, great for the people of Iran, and fundamentally, again, will contribute to this regional security architecture that we’ve built, and that we’re going to work very hard to ensure that it endures,” Vance said.

The proposal would allow unfrozen Iranian assets to be used to purchase American soybeans, corn and wheat, benefiting U.S. farmers while providing food supplies to Iran.

Vance’s remarks followed a series of forceful statements from President Trump on Sunday, including threats to seize control of the Strait of Hormuz and retaliate militarily against Iran if tensions escalate.

The vice president acknowledged that Trump’s comments briefly rattled negotiations.

“Their technical team is still here,” Vance said, explaining that despite public threats to walk away from talks, Iranian negotiators remained engaged and discussions continued into the early morning hours.

“When they make threats that aren’t rooted in reality, they have to accept that the president of the United States is actually going to set the record straight,” Vance said.

“So, yes, there was a little bit of threatening, there was a little bit of whining, but at the end of the day, the talks continued, and we made great progress.”

Technical negotiations are expected to continue in Switzerland throughout the week, with Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff leading the American delegation.

The interim agreement signed by President Trump last week established a 60-day negotiating period aimed at determining the future of Iran’s nuclear program and resolving disputes over billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, sanctions relief and regional security arrangements.