Middle East Crisis Peace Talks

Iran denies progress in nuclear talks: No agreement

Iran denies that it agreed on or even discussed its nuclear energy program during Sunday's talks with the United States in Switzerland. This was stated by Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, according to Reuters.

US Vice President JD Vance said earlier on Monday that progress had been made on the issue of Iran's nuclear energy program and that the country had agreed to re-allow the International Atomic Energy Agency's IAEA inspectors.

- Iran's cooperation with the IAEA will continue according to current procedures, provided that it is approved by the Iranian parliament and in accordance with a decision by the Supreme National Security Council, Esmaeil Baghaei said.

Trump's three obstacles on the way: Israel, Iran and Maga

The peace talks between the United States and Iran are entering a new phase, but several things could still put a damper on the White House, writes the Washington Post.

According to the agreement, the US, Iran and their allies are to immediately cease attacks on all fronts, including in Lebanon. But there is a risk that this part of the agreement will be quickly undermined, given that the attacks between Israel and Hezbollah appear to continue, the newspaper writes.

Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz is Trump's second obstacle. Since the war broke out, it has become obvious that Iran can stop traffic in the strait, with a global energy crisis as a result. Threats of new attacks are also unlikely to bite in the same way as before the war, according to Middle East analyst Aaron David Miller.

- We have greatly undermined our own deterrence against Iran.

The third obstacle is dissatisfaction at home, both with the Iran war and with the peace agreement. Criticism has come from both influential Maga profiles and leading Republican politicians who believe that Trump has made too many concessions in the agreement with Iran. 

Vance: The Foundation for a Final Agreement Has Been Laid

The peace talks with Iran have laid “a good foundation for a successful final agreement” that will put an end to the war. This is what US Vice President JD Vance said after Sunday's talks in Switzerland, several news agencies report.

– The final agreement is the house. We have laid the foundation, says Vance.

He says that Tehran has agreed to let in inspectors from the UN nuclear agency IAEA, possibly as soon as this week. He also opens up the possibility that the US could consider releasing frozen Iranian assets to enable the purchase of American agricultural products such as soy, corn and wheat.