Vice President JD Vance said Monday that international nuclear inspectors will “absolutely” be permitted to return to Iran as part of the developing U.S.-Iran agreement intended to bring an end to the conflict that has persisted for months.

Speaking in an interview cited by NBC News, Vance explained that both the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency would play a direct role in supervising the elimination of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium under the proposed arrangement.

“In fact, one of the core parts of the agreement is that the [International Atomic Energy Agency] and the United States are going to help Iran destroy the highly enriched stockpile, and that’s something that’s spelled out very clearly,” he said.

His remarks come as the issue of nuclear inspections remains one of the most contentious aspects of the broader understanding between Washington and Tehran. Reuters reported that verification procedures and inspection rights are among the key issues that have yet to be fully resolved.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has been pressing for broader access to Iranian nuclear facilities after years of interruptions to its monitoring efforts and restrictions placed on inspectors during periods of escalating regional instability.

The IAEA, which serves as the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, operates under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and is tasked with ensuring that civilian nuclear programs are not used to advance weapons development. The agency carries out that mission through inspections, surveillance systems, and oversight of nuclear materials.

Under standard safeguards agreements, inspectors routinely conduct both scheduled and surprise visits to declared nuclear sites. Those inspections are supported by cameras, monitoring equipment, and inventory-tracking mechanisms designed to confirm enrichment levels and account for uranium stockpiles.

However, Reuters has reported that the agency’s ability to carry out those responsibilities in Iran has been increasingly challenged in recent years, as repeated restrictions on access have limited its capacity to independently verify enrichment activities and nuclear material inventories.

International scrutiny intensified further after the IAEA Board of Governors approved a U.S.-backed resolution demanding that Iran fully cooperate with inspectors, disclose details regarding its uranium reserves, and restore access to nuclear facilities affected by previous disputes.

The resolution reflected growing concern among Western nations over Iran’s expanding stockpile of uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels, as well as lingering questions surrounding nuclear material that has not been fully accounted for following disruptions at several key sites.

While the measure stopped short of referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council, it significantly increased diplomatic pressure on Tehran to comply fully with its obligations under international nuclear safeguards.

Taken together, the latest developments highlight the central role that inspections and verification will play in any final agreement. Both American officials and international nuclear authorities have stressed that meaningful on-the-ground monitoring will be critical to ensuring that any future deal is enforced.

{Matzav.com}