Vance says Iran should allow nuclear tests to resume after a “good day” of talks

Vice President JD Vance on Monday revealed “good progress” in the first direct talks between the US and Iran, and called the past 24 hours “probably the most peaceful we’ve seen” in Lebanon since the war began.

Israel’s war with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon has thwarted repeated efforts to create a comprehensive peace agreement between the US and Iran, and the cooperation agreement signed last week calls for a cessation of hostilities on all sides, including in Lebanon.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also reported “good progress” in the first round of talks on Sunday.

Vance called the confluence of the separate but connected US-Iran war and the Israel-Hezbollah war “a little chicken-and-egg problem,” suggesting that some of the strikes may have been ordered by “a little guy who shot down a drone that didn’t get permission from the high command.”

Vance said Sunday’s talks saw Iran and the US develop a new way to avoid such situations.

“Israel and all other nations in the region have the right to defend themselves, but we want to make sure that everyone has that right to defend themselves in the background when we talk about how to defuse these conflicts rather than let them spiral out of control,” he said. “Sometimes what’s going to happen is if the conflict gets out of control, that’s very bad for everybody’s self-defense and very bad for everybody’s security. So we’ve got a plan to make sure that escalation doesn’t happen.”

Iran’s Central Bank said on Monday that “substantial progress” in the release of Tehran’s frozen financial assets had been made in the first round of talks with the US in Switzerland.

The governor of this bank, Abdolnaser Hemmati, told Tasnim media that: “God willing, in the coming days, access to services will work gradually under certain conditions.”

Clause 11 of the memorandum of understanding states that the US will make frozen or restricted Iranian funds “fully available for use” when the deal is struck.

The Wall Street Journal reported, and CBS News was also told, that the US was working with Qatar on a plan to make billions of dollars in frozen Iranian goods available to the government for humanitarian purposes, possibly starting with $6 billion to Qatar.

Officials previously confirmed to CBS News that the $6 billion held in Qatar will be among the first assets released to Iran under the deal, and those funds are already subject to the US Treasury’s machinery established during the Biden era to ensure that the money can only be used for humanitarian purposes.

Vice President JD Vance told reporters in Switzerland that although he will return to the US, technical talks with Iran will continue “in the coming weeks and days.”

“We’re building an excellent foundation for a successful, final deal,” Vance said. “The final deal is a house – we’re laying the groundwork, we’re not building a house yet, but we’ve laid a successful foundation to get to a better place for the American people.”

Vance said “there is still a lot to be done,” but said “a lot of progress is being made.”

Vice President JD Vance said Monday that Iran had agreed to allow nuclear weapons inspectors from the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency to return to the country, adding that “we have made significant progress in the nuclear negotiations.”

Vance said allowing the nuclear inspectors to return “is what we’re most excited about as Americans.” Vance called it “a great day.”

“This is a major milestone for the American people, and the first step toward ending Iran’s nuclear weapons program once and for all,” Vance said.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei previously downplayed talks on Iran’s nuclear program on Sunday, telling reporters that there was a “very brief discussion” on the topic, “but no details were discussed, and it cannot be said that talks on the nuclear issue have started.”

Vance said he expects the IAEA’s inspections – carried out for years under the JPCOA nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration – to resume as soon as this week.

Vance said that four goals have been achieved – to allow nuclear weapons inspectors, to create a way to open the Strait of Hormuz, to create a way to “end the conflict for a regional ceasefire” in Lebanon, and to speed up the process of future negotiations.

Vice President JD Vance is expected to speak to reporters in Switzerland after participating in the first round of talks with Iranian officials.

At night, Pakistan and Qatar in a joint statement that “high-level talks” have ended, but technical talks will continue throughout the week.

A senior US official said on Sunday night that “the topics of discussion included clarifying some of the confusing messages from Iran in the Strait and ways to end the conflict and building to ensure that the Strait will remain fully open. We also worked on ways to end the conflict and enforce a ceasefire in southern Lebanon. We had strong discussions to use these nuclear issues through these practical issues today. Serve as a starting point for ongoing technical discussions going forward.”

Vance’s news conference will be streamed live in the player at the top of this page.

A spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that the first round of talks with the US in Switzerland lasted 18 hours.

Speaking to Iran’s state broadcaster, IRNA, Esmail Baqaei said the talks started around 9:00 am on Sunday and continued until 3:00 am on Monday.

After the meeting, the Iranian delegation left Switzerland and returned to Tehran.

More talks are expected to take place this week, but the format has not yet been confirmed.

Pakistani and Qatari mediators said on Monday morning that Iran and the US had agreed to establish a communication line and a “de-confliction cell,” following the first round of talks in Switzerland.

In a joint statement issued early Monday, mediators said “encouraging progress” had been made during Sunday’s “good” Lake Lucerne Summit.

According to the mediators, the US and Iran agreed to establish a line of communication between the countries “to avoid incidents and miscommunication for the purpose of safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Additionally, a “de-conflict cell” was also established in cooperation with the Lebanese government to “ensure adherence to the cessation of military operations in Lebanon” under as per the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed last week by President Trump and his Iranian counterpart, mediators said.

The ongoing war between Israel’s military and Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon has threatened to derail the US-Iran accord, which calls for an end to all military operations in all sectors, including Lebanon.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi praised the “progress in ending the Lebanon War,” but said the de-confliction cell would provide the first real test of an agreement between Tehran and Washington.

Oil prices fell on Monday on hopes for US-Iran talks, with negotiators flagging a “road” to a final deal.

Traders remained upbeat after news that the two sides had temporarily suspended their standoff, which has pushed up energy costs and boosted inflation.

There was confusion following reports that Iran had called off talks over President Trump’s threat of further strikes if Hezbollah continued to attack Israel, but Pakistani and Qatari mediators said the talks took place in a “good and constructive atmosphere.”

Both main oil contracts fell in afternoon Asian trade, with international Brent crude down more than 1% to just under $80 a barrel.

Stock markets were mixed after a good start.

A senior member of Iran’s negotiating team has warned US officials to “be careful with their statements” and warned that Iran’s military is “ready to respond,” after President Trump threatened to strike Iran if it does not immediately stop Hezbollah from “causing trouble.”

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X: “Don’t they think that if their threats had an effect, they would not have reached the point of despair today? We do not trust the threats of the American people.”

The new saber rattling could inject new uncertainty into the already tense talks between the US and Iran in Switzerland.