Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei denied Tuesday that Tehran has agreed to admit International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, directly contradicting U.S. Vice President JD Vance's earlier announcement that Iran had accepted inspections. Baqaei said no discussions on the matter have even taken place, according to Abu Ali Express.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei on Tuesday morning directly contradicted U.S. Vice President JD Vance's claim that Tehran had agreed to readmit IAEA inspectors, stating that no discussions on the matter had even taken place. The denial, reported by Abu Ali Express, escalated a public rift that has unfolded over the past 24 hours.
This was the third Iranian rejection of Vance's assertions in a single day. At 10:51 (Tue 10:51 Jerusalem), The Zioneer first reported that a spokesman had ruled out any plan for inspectors to visit damaged nuclear sites. That denial was reiterated by an official spokesperson at the same time through state media, and again — with specific reference to Vance's claim of a purported agreement — by Baqaei himself. The consistency of the refutations across multiple Iranian channels, from a routine statement to a named official, marks an escalation in the clarity and level of the denial.
The thread began Monday (June 22) when Vance announced that Iran had agreed to invite back IAEA inspectors, a claim the administration has promoted for days. As The Zioneer reported on June 16, Vance had said the MOU 'very clearly' includes IAEA inspectors to help destroy Iran's enriched uranium stockpile. By June 18, he acknowledged 'gentlemen's agreements' beyond the signed document. The Iranian denials — initially indirect, now categorical and repeated — directly undermine that narrative.
It remains unclear whether Washington will issue a formal response to Baqaei's denial. The status of the nuclear MOU and any undisclosed side understandings remains open, with both sides offering fundamentally incompatible accounts.
7 developments
- DevelopingIranian spokesman contradicts Vance: no IAEA inspectors invited
- StrongIran warns US must enforce Lebanon ceasefire obligations from MoU
- StrongIran threatens indefinite Hormuz closure, blocks IAEA inspections as Israeli officials warn of shifting U.S. support
- StrongIran warns it will respond if Israel violates MoU by attacking Lebanon, Hezbollah
Source and signal
- Internal intake