BURGENSTOCK, Switzerland, June 23 (AFP): The United States suspended sanctions on Iranian oil on Monday after Vice President JD Vance said Iran would allow UN nuclear inspectors to return to the country.
"We laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal," Vance told reporters following talks at Switzerland's luxury Burgenstock resort aimed at ending the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said for his part that "a very brief discussion took place regarding the nuclear issue, but there was no discussion of details."
"We're negotiating -- we'll see how that all goes -- but we have two things," Trump said. "We have an open strait and we have a country that will never have a nuclear weapon."
Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding last week laying the groundwork for the Switzerland negotiations after nearly 40 days of fighting that were followed by a shaky ceasefire.
The negotiations aim to tackle some of the most intractable issues that have dogged US-Iranian relations for decades, including Tehran's nuclear program.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Monday that he could refuse to help NATO countries as pay back for the lack of support from member nations with the US military operation in Iran.
"We spent all of this money. And then when we want to maybe have help on small stuff... They say no we would rather not help," Trump said during a press conference in the Oval Office.
"Stupid thing to say, because we can say that to them if we want, and we might," he added.
Despite strained relations with the alliance, Trump is set to attend the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey next month.
Meanwhile, Tehran voiced Tuesday its intent to maintain control over the vital Strait of Hormuz, a crucial question in the Middle East war talks with Washington that just wrapped up in Switzerland.
Vice President JD Vance called the negotiations a "very good foundation" for a final deal to end the conflict, noting on Monday that Washington suspended sanctions on Iranian oil.
But critical questions like Iran's nuclear programme and Hormuz, a major conduit for the world's oil supply, have not been resolved despite an initial deal between Washington and Teheran.
Technical talks that followed higher level negotiations in Switzerland have concluded, with working groups to be set up on nuclear issues and sanctions, Iran's state media reported Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump has demanded an unconditional reopening of Hormuz to marine traffic, however Iran again pushed back fiercely.
"The Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war conditions and will be administered by the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with international law," Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, state media reported Tuesday.
The Strait of Hormuz had reopened last week, after Washington and Tehran reached an agreement, but Tehran announced on Saturday it had closed it again in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has told senators it needs roughly $80 billion, mostly to cover the cost of the US war against Iran, adding to what is already a sizable military spending boost being sought by President Donald Trump.
The White House Office of Management and Budget has yet to make a formal request to Congress. But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill, including Monday evening. A top deputy defense secretary told senators about the Iran funding request last week, according to two people familiar with the situation but not authorized to discuss it publicly.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the developments.
Push for Pentagon money faces skeptical lawmakers
The push for billions of dollars in Iran war funding comes at a fraught political moment. Lawmakers are skeptical of the deal Trump struck with Iran to bring an end to the war, and wary of next steps. The White House has requested a remarkable $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon - a nearly 50% increase over the current fiscal year's funding levels.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he's expecting a supplemental spending request from the administration for the war, and when it arrives, "we'll work through it and see where the votes are."
US suspends Iran oil sanctions, says nuclear inspectors to return
FE Team | Published: June 23, 2026 22:18:04
US suspends Iran oil sanctions, says nuclear inspectors to return
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