Conflicting claims over what was agreed in the US-Iran peace talks have exposed cracks in the fragile diplomatic process, as President Donald Trump insists Tehran has accepted long-term nuclear inspections and Iranian officials say otherwise.
According to NBC, Trump claimed Iran had “fully and completely agreed” to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities and said there would be “no further Naval Blockade” of the Strait of Hormuz as a result.
“If they did not agree to this, there would be no further negotiations,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
But Iranian officials quickly pushed back.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said no visits have been scheduled for the U.N. watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to inspect sites bombed by the U.S. last year. Iran has publicly agreed to end military operations, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and enter a 60-day negotiation process toward a final agreement.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also warned that “statements outside the agreed text do not help advance the negotiations”.
The discrepancy comes as talks continue in Switzerland on a permanent end to the war. NBC reported that negotiators have discussed sanctions relief, nuclear monitoring, reconstruction efforts and security arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz.
The diplomatic uncertainty is unfolding as the Pentagon seeks roughly $80 billion from U.S. Congress to cover the costs of the Iran war, according to the Associated Press. The request would come on top of the Trump administration’s proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget and is already facing scepticism from lawmakers.
Meanwhile, violence has resurfaced in southern Lebanon despite a recent ceasefire, which has raised fresh doubts about whether Washington and Tehran can deliver on promises of stability.
