Iran rejected claims that it had agreed to full Iran IAEA inspections, after US President Donald Trump said Tehran had consented to a complete review of its nuclear programme.
Trump said inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency would reach Iran at a suitable time.
He said further negotiations would not have followed without access to Iran’s nuclear sites.
US Vice President JD Vance also said Monday that Iran had “agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back.” Vance led the US delegation in talks with the other country.
Vance said after negotiations in Switzerland that discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency could take place “as soon as today.”
Tehran gave a different account. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said no foreign team had permission to inspect Iranian nuclear installations in the current situation.
Baghaei said inspectors would not receive access to nuclear installations in Isfahan and other cities. He said the sites had been damaged by US and Israeli strikes.
“No one can be allowed to inspect these sites in the present situation,” Baghaei said. The Iranian spokesman also denied reports of a meeting with the IAEA director general. He said Iran faced no new restrictions on using its frozen assets.
Read: Trump Iran Nuclear Inspections Claim Denied by Tehran
The dispute left Washington and Tehran publicly divided over the status of Iran’s IAEA inspections and the next phase of nuclear diplomacy.
The talks were expected to continue through the end of the week. The outcome now depends on whether the two sides can narrow differences over nuclear-site access.