Phoenix 24
Tehran rejects Washington’s account as disputes test the fragile diplomatic process.
Tehran, June 2026. Significant disagreements have emerged between Iran and the United States after their first high-level negotiations concluded in Switzerland. Both governments offered sharply different interpretations of the framework agreement intended to end the conflict.
Iranian officials contradicted statements by US Vice President JD Vance concerning nuclear inspections, frozen assets and the future management of the Strait of Hormuz. President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that progress would depend on the precise implementation of the memorandum.
Despite the tensions, both countries have begun a 60-day diplomatic process. The framework includes a joint monitoring mechanism and four specialised working groups tasked with negotiating a permanent settlement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei denied that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency were scheduled to visit nuclear facilities damaged during the war. He said Tehran had accepted no new obligations regarding access to those installations.
Washington believes Iranian nuclear material may remain beneath the ruins of bombed facilities. Iran continues to deny any intention of manufacturing nuclear weapons and defends its right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
The two sides also offered conflicting accounts regarding frozen Iranian assets. Vance said no funds were being released, while chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf claimed that Qatar had mediated the unfreezing of $12 billion.
According to Tehran, the money would be delivered in two instalments of $6 billion and could be used without restrictions. Iranian officials also insisted that the country’s missile programme was not discussed during the negotiations.
The United States has temporarily eased some restrictions on Iran’s energy sector. A general licence allows the production, transportation and sale of Iranian crude oil and petrochemical products until August 21.
The Strait of Hormuz has become another major source of disagreement. Washington said the negotiations included mechanisms to guarantee that the strategic maritime passage would remain open to international shipping.
Ghalibaf responded that management of the waterway would not return to the conditions that existed before the war. Iran and Oman later created a committee to discuss the future administration of the strait.
Both countries said any arrangement must respect their sovereignty and preserve international maritime traffic. Oman has rejected the possibility of charging transit fees because Hormuz is considered a natural international passage.
Navigation through the area has gradually increased since the framework was announced. Maritime data showed 39 vessels crossing the strait on Monday, the highest daily figure recorded since the conflict began.
The continuing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon remains one of the greatest threats to the agreement. Tehran warned that it could respond if Israel attacks Lebanon or the Iranian-backed organisation.
Iran and the United States agreed to establish a de-escalation cell to address the conflict. However, renewed violence in southern Lebanon has placed the fragile diplomatic process under additional pressure.
Tehran insists that a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon must form part of any permanent regional settlement. Disputes over nuclear oversight, financial concessions, maritime authority and regional security continue to complicate the negotiations.
For now, diplomacy advances under the weight of profound unresolved differences.