Trump and Iran clash over nuclear inspections in nuclear talks
Trump threatened to halt further talks if Iran blocks IAEA inspectors, while Tehran said there is no clear schedule for their return.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
President Donald Trump and Iran’s government gave conflicting accounts of whether Tehran will allow international nuclear inspectors back into the country, adding strain to talks aimed at ending the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Al Jazeera reported that Trump threatened to “cancel” further peace talks if Iran blocks inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has said there are no plans to allow IAEA inspectors into Iran, according to Al Jazeera. Trump rejected that position and said Iran had agreed to the “highest level” of nuclear inspections, while Tehran said there was no “clear schedule” for such a step.
Hormuz and inspections dominate talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is touring the Middle East, said any agreement with Iran would guarantee maritime freedom in the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported. The waterway is a central issue in the diplomacy surrounding the war because of its role in global shipping and energy flows.
Iran has also drawn a line around its missile programme. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran’s ballistic missiles are not open for discussion in the ongoing negotiations with Washington, according to Al Jazeera.
The dispute over inspections creates an immediate test for the talks. The IAEA’s access to Iranian nuclear sites has long been a core demand for Western governments, while Tehran has resisted terms it views as infringing on its sovereignty.
Lebanon ceasefire under strain
The Iran talks are unfolding alongside tensions on the Israel-Lebanon front. Al Jazeera reported that Israel and Lebanon began a fifth round of US-brokered negotiations, with the Israeli envoy describing the process as a “train wreck.”
In southern Lebanon, Israeli forces opened fire and killed two people, according to Al Jazeera. Hezbollah described the attack as a “blatant violation of the ceasefire.”
A photograph from Nabatieh in southern Lebanon showed a damaged building on Tuesday, credited to Wael Hamzeh of EPA. A joint assessment by the United Nations Development Programme and Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research estimated direct building damage in South Lebanon at $1.38bn, with more than 11,000 buildings completely destroyed, 3.1 million cubic metres of debris and more than 41,000 housing units structurally affected.
Senate seeks limits on military action
In Washington, the US Senate approved a war powers resolution directing Trump to halt military action against Iran, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet said it was the first time the Senate had approved such a resolution.
The vote adds a domestic constraint to the administration’s diplomacy and military posture. It also places Congress directly into the debate over how far the White House can go in the conflict without legislative approval.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.