Vance says Iran will allow nuclear inspectors back into the country

Vance says Iran will allow nuclear inspectors back into the country15 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNathan WilliamsReutersJD Vance says Iran has agreed to allow nuclear inspectors back into the country - a key demand of the international community - with discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) happening "as soon as today".The US vice-president said a great deal of progress had been made after the first round of talks between the US and Iran to reach a final deal to end the war, echoing a statement by mediators.He said teams had discussed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and "de-confliction for the regional ceasefire".The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last week includes a commitment to re-opening the strait and the ending the fighting on "all fronts" - including Lebanon.In a joint statement released earlier on Monday, mediators Qatar and Pakistan said that after the first round of talks, the US and Iran had agreed to "a roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days". Vance described the talks as having laid a "very good foundation" for negotiations towards a final settlement.Speaking in Switzerland on Monday morning, the vice-president said the nuclear issue was "probably the one we're most excited about as Americans". "[This] is a major milestone for the American people and a first step in permanently... ending a nuclear weapons programme in Iran," he said.Iran has always insisted that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only.Asked by reporters when nuclear inspectors from the UN's nuclear watchdog would be returning to Iran, Vance said he expected the process to start "at a minimum this week", but conversations with inspectors and the IAEA "could happen as soon as today".The 14-point MOU, signed last week by US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, references to t...