The dispute surfaced as technical teams from both countries held negotiations in Switzerland, and diplomatic efforts intensified to secure a permanent end to hostilities.

US President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed to allow extensive inspections of its nuclear programme for the foreseeable future, warning that he would halt negotiations if Tehran refused to grant access.

“Iran has fully and completely agreed to highest level nuclear inspections long into the future,” Trump wrote on social media, later telling reporters there was no urgency for inspections to begin but that talks would end immediately if Tehran backed away from the arrangement.

US Vice President JD Vance had made similar remarks a day earlier, suggesting that Iran had accepted the return of international inspectors.

However, Tehran rejected those claims. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said no inspections of nuclear facilities damaged in US strikes last year had been scheduled.

At the same time, Iranian officials insisted the issue had not been discussed during the latest round of talks.

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, also denied that Tehran had agreed to invite inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) back into the country.

The IAEA, which has monitored Iran’s nuclear activities, has yet to comment on any possible new inspection arrangement.

The agency has not been granted access to enrichment sites hit during US strikes following Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in 2025.

Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful purposes, although the IAEA has previously said Tehran possesses highly enriched uranium that could be used to produce atomic weapons if it chose to do so.

The conflicting narratives extended to other provisions of the framework agreement.

Trump said funds frozen in overseas accounts that may be released under the deal would be used to purchase food and medical supplies from the United States.

Iranian officials, however, said Tehran would decide independently how to spend the money.

Washington has already agreed to suspend sanctions on Iran for 60 days, allowing the country to resume oil exports and receive payments while both sides negotiate broader agreements.

The framework deal also calls for Iran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium.