Iran has agreed to let nuclear inspectors back into the country, Vice President JD Vance said Monday, as nuclear experts warned President Donald Trump’s new Tehran framework will only work if inspectors get the kind of unfettered access they say was missing from the Obama-era Iran deal.

The news, which Vance described as «a major milestone,» comes as Trump’s new Iran framework drew warnings from nuclear experts who told Fox News Digital the deal could leave Tehran too much control over its uranium stockpile unless inspectors first locate, secure and verify the material. The IAEA has not been able to resume full in-field verification of Iran’s declared nuclear program since last year’s strikes, apart from a June inspection at a single Iranian nuclear power plant.

The verification gap concern centers on language in the reported U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) saying the two sides will resolve the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile through a still-to-be-negotiated process. The MOU identifies onsite «downblending,» which means diluting enriched uranium so it is less usable for a nuclear weapon, under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision as the minimum acceptable method for dealing with the material. The MOU does not explicitly say Iran will retain a civilian nuclear program, but it says the two sides will discuss enrichment and other matters related to Iran’s «nuclear needs» in a final deal.

«Unfettered verification is everything,» Chuck DeVore, Chief National Initiatives Officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, told Fox News Digital. «There can be no denial for teams to inspect on the ground. Remote, technological means can achieve a lot, but nothing beats in-person inspections.»

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IAEA supervision would only be meaningful if inspectors first regain enough access to fully account for Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and ensure Tehran does not retain unchecked control of the material, experts warned Fox News Digital. Meanwhile, a recent IAEA report released this month underscored the agency’s limited visibility into Iran’s declared nuclear program after last year’s military strikes, saying that aside from a single inspection at an Iranian nuclear power plant, the agency «has not received information from Iran» about the status of its other declared nuclear facilities or associated nuclear material. «Nor has the Agency had access» to those sites for in-field verification, the report noted.

A senior administration official told Fox News Digital on background that the MOU required Iran’s regime to reaffirm that it will not procure or develop nuclear weapons, calling that a critical first step under Iran’s new Supreme Leader.

The official said the U.S. has reached understandings with Iran when it comes to its uranium stockpile, and the new deal is the first step of turning these understandings into real results, which include progress on enriched uranium stockpiles, dismantlement of nuclear sites, an enrichment ban and inspection access. The official added that the U.S. has already had productive discussions with Iran on those issues and, now that the MOU is formally in place, negotiators will work to make quick progress.

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The official also referred Fox News Digital to comments Vice President JD Vance made Thursday, when he said the deal’s benefits depend on Iran following through on its promises.

«They have promised not to enrich. They have promised that they would allow inspectors in to destroy that highly enriched stockpile. And then, of course, it’s not usable anymore. You take it somewhere else,» Vance said. «They promised a number of things, and that’s why the deal contemplates a number of benefits if they do those things. But it doesn’t do anything if they don’t actually meet those promises.»

Vice President JD Vance listens as a reporter asks a question in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, on Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

«The Iranians have agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back into their country. That is a major milestone for the American people, and the first step in permanently denuclearize, easing or permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran,» Vance added Monday after negotiations in Switzerland resumed. «And that’s exactly what we wanted to do. That’s exactly what we asked to happen.»

The Vice President said that the technical negotiations will continue over the next weeks and days, even in his absence. He said a framework for «proper political oversight» of these negotiations has been established as well. Vance simultaneously highlighted that «a lot of great progress on other nuclear talks» has already been made in the early days. 

Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation Program, told Fox News Digital that any credible agreement must begin with recovering and safeguarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, and not allowing Tehran to keep control of the material while it is diluted inside the country.

«Without verifiably dismantling and destroying all of Iran’s fundamental nuclear capabilities — nuclear material, facilities, centrifuges, manufacturing capabilities, equipment, documentation, and weaponization capacities, and ensuring scientists are redirected to civilian work — Iran’s pledge on paper is meaningless,» she told Fox News Digital, noting that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile could, if recovered and further enriched, provide enough weapons-grade material for roughly 22 nuclear weapons.

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DeVore was more cautious about assigning a single number to Iran’s potential weapons capacity, saying the estimate depends heavily on the sophistication of the weapon design. He said the same stockpile could translate into fewer basic weapons or be stretched further by a more advanced nuclear program.

He said onsite downblending, if properly verified, would be aimed at making Iran’s roughly 1,000 pounds of 60% enriched uranium unavailable for further enrichment. DeVore cautioned that the material would still need additional processing to be turned into weapons-grade uranium and said he does not believe Tehran can currently do that because key facilities were destroyed in last year’s strikes.

A satellite image shows damage at the Fordo enrichment facility in Iran after U.S. strikes on June 22, 2025. (Maxar Technologies)

Asked what would be needed to make any Iran deal enforceable, DeVore told Fox News Digital the U.S. must avoid repeating what he described as a key weakness of the Obama-era nuclear deal: allowing Tehran to restrict access or keep certain sites off limits. He said the «ultimate question» is onsite verification, warning that Washington cannot allow itself to be pushed into «an agreement for agreement’s sake.»

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DeVore also said the Obama-era JCPOA gave inspectors too much notice and too little freedom to inspect suspicious locations as well, arguing that any new deal must avoid a system where Iran can delay, limit or steer inspections before the IAEA gets on the ground.

The flag of Iran waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna, Austria. (Florian Schroetter/AP Photo)

DeVore told Fox News Digital that his concern is informed by his experience as a young special assistant for foreign affairs in the Reagan administration, when he worked on verification issues surrounding Cold War-era nuclear agreements with the Soviet Union, including the Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty and the Threshold Test Ban Treaty.

In those negotiations, DeVore said, the danger was that the minimum level of verification sought by defense and intelligence officials could become the starting point for diplomats, meaning the final deal could end up below what experts believed was necessary.

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«Once you say, ‘This is the minimum we need,’ then that becomes the starting point, so anything agreed to is less than that,» DeVore said. «That’s what I fear.»

Fox News Digital reached out to the IAEA asking whether the agency can currently account for Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and whether it has any comment on the verification questions raised by the reported framework but did not hear back. The agency did not release any statement after Vance said they would be allowed access to Iran in time for publication.

El gobierno de Irán salió al cruce de las declaraciones de Donald Trump sobre el estrecho de Ormuz y dejó en claro que no piensa ceder el control de esa estratégica vía marítima, clave para el comercio mundial de petróleo.

El lunes por la noche, el jefe negociador iraní, Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf, sostuvo que la administración del paso “nunca volverá a ser lo que era antes de la guerra” y remarcó que será Irán quien lo gestione, aunque respetará las normas internacionales.

“Todos deben saber que la administración del estrecho de Ormuz nunca volverá a ser lo que era antes de la guerra”, afirmó Qalibaf, citado por la agencia estatal IRNA.

En esa misma línea, el funcionario agregó: “Por supuesto, se respetarán las normas internacionales, pero Irán administrará el estrecho de Ormuz”.

Las palabras de Qalibaf llegaron horas después de que Trump asegurara desde la Casa Blanca que Estados Unidos mantiene el control total del estrecho y que cuenta con una armada capaz de imponer un bloqueo si fuera necesario.

“Tenemos el control total del estrecho; contamos con una armada capaz de imponer un bloqueo”, había asegurado el mandatario, en un mensaje directo a Teherán.

Negociaciones en marcha y advertencias cruzadas

El cruce de declaraciones se dio en medio de las negociaciones entre ambos países para alcanzar un acuerdo más amplio sobre seguridad regional y el programa nuclear iraní.

Tras la firma de un memorando de entendimiento que abrió una tregua temporal, Washington y Teherán tienen un plazo de 60 días para avanzar en temas clave.

Qalibaf participó el lunes en Suiza de la primera ronda de conversaciones con representantes estadounidenses y destacó los logros obtenidos.

“Desde mi punto de vista, este viaje ha dado lugar a grandes logros, especialmente en lo que respecta a las discusiones sobre el estrecho, las relacionadas con Líbano, la cuestión de las exenciones petroleras y el tema del desbloqueo de los activos congelados, que es uno de los avances que estamos logrando”, expresó en un video publicado en la red social Telegram.

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El funcionario iraní aclaró que las negociaciones recién comienzan y que “debemos continuar con nuestros esfuerzos”.

Por su parte, Trump lanzó una advertencia sobre el cumplimiento de los compromisos asumidos por Teherán. “Si Irán no cumple con el acuerdo o no se comporta como debe, haré lo que tenga que hacer”, afirmó ante periodistas.

Además, el presidente estadounidense insistió en que espera avances en materia de supervisión nuclear y aseguró que Irán aceptará inspecciones amplias para garantizar lo que describió como “honestidad nuclear”.

Disputa por los fondos desbloqueados y el rol de Israel

Otro punto de tensión surgió en torno a los fondos iraníes desbloqueados tras el entendimiento bilateral. Trump afirmó que esos recursos terminarán destinados a la compra de productos estadounidenses: “Todo ese dinero volverá en forma de compras de alimentos que necesitan desesperadamente”, sostuvo.

Sin embargo, desde Teherán rechazaron esa interpretación. El gobernador del Banco Central de Irán, Abdolnaser Hemmati, aclaró que el memorando vigente no obliga a Irán a adquirir productos agrícolas estadounidenses y que los recursos podrán utilizarse para otros bienes autorizados por el régimen de sanciones.

En paralelo, Qalibaf acusó a Israel de intentar obstaculizar las conversaciones. Según el funcionario, el gobierno israelí “se encuentra ferozmente opuesto a este proceso de negociación, al que ve como una amenaza para su propia existencia y busca sabotearlo”.

Teherán también insiste en que Líbano debe formar parte del acuerdo destinado a poner fin al conflicto regional, mientras continúan las negociaciones entre representantes iraníes y estadounidenses.

In what’s being hailed as a major win for the Trump administration against Chinese domination of the rare earth minerals market, the U.S. has supported an American company, Virtus Minerals, in developing two major mines producing cobalt and copper in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

This is claimed to be the first U.S. rare earth minerals acquisition in the African nation since President Trump announced the Washington Accord last December.

Historically, China has been the heavy lifter of these metals. The Strategic Studies Institute reported that 80% of the world’s cobalt is produced in the DRC — and 80% of that is controlled by China. Cobalt, used in a wide range of applications, from electric cars and mobile phones to military jets, is on the U.S. government’s list of critical minerals. Copper, also on the list, has traditional uses such as piping for plumbing, but is also needed in electronics and the automotive industry.

During December’s signing at the White House, Trump made clear the administration’s fight to curb Chinese domination of minerals and help American mining companies make a major impact in the DRC. «A great day for Africa, a great day for the world,» Trump said.  The accord also aims to bring an end to fighting between the DRC and Rwandan-backed forces, although the Rwandan-supported M23 rebel group have continued their hostile infiltration in the Eastern DRC.

American mining company Virtus is, with U.S. support, claiming to be «the first U.S.-owned operator back in the DRC in more than a decade», with its investment in Chemaf, a local cobalt and copper producer with two mining operations, one, Étoile, in Lubumbashi and Mutoshi, in Kolwezi. Together it’s planned the mines will produce a combined 75,000 tonnes of copper, and 20,000 tonnes of cobalt a year. The processing plants are currently under development and will come online next year.

Virtus Minerals CEO and Chamaf Chairman. Phillip Braun, the Chargé d’Affaires U.S. Embassy Kinshasa Ian J. McCary, and Chemaf Managing Director Sooryanarayanan Prabhakaran cutting the ribbon of the new mine. (Virtus Minerals / Chemaf)

The minerals will ultimately be exported to the west through the Lobito Corridor to a port in Angola. Lobito is the rail route the U.S. has backed with a $5 billion investment commitment, with, according to a Virtus statement, «the aim of obtaining a secure, auditable copper and cobalt supply chain for the U.S. and its allies.»

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Frans Cronje, president of the Washington-based Yorktown Foundation for Freedom, says the Virtus projects are significant because they show the administration is seriously trying to change the balance in a minerals battle with China.

He told Fox News Digital, «This development signals a more assertive United States effort to compete with China for access to Africa’s critical mineral base, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where cobalt and copper are strategically vital to global energy and defense supply chains.»

The U.S. and DRC flags fly outside Chemaf’s site in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Virtus Minerals / Chemaf)

Cronje added, «China has built deep structural dominance across much of Africa’s resource sector over the past two decades, but U.S.-backed initiatives such as this suggest a shift towards more direct engagement, rather than relying on Chinese-controlled supply routes. This matters because Africa’s vast resource endowment, combined with its geostrategic position along key Atlantic and Indian Ocean corridors, makes it central to future global economic and security competition.»

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, «President Trump and Secretary Rubio remain firmly committed to supporting U.S. companies that seek to do business in the DRC.»

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Chemaf’s site in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Virtus Minerals / Chemaf)

«The United States government fully supports the efforts of Virtus Minerals,» the spokesperson continued. «This acquisition serves as an initial flagship U.S. investment in the DRC, and sends a clear signal that the U.S. private sector interest is real and will catalyze further investment in alignment with the U.S.-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement, which positions the DRC to play an integral role in the Trump Administration’s global efforts to secure critical mineral supply chains.»

The spokesperson added, «increased U.S. investment will create quality jobs for American and Congolese workers, foster skills development and support local communities that have long been exploited by the opaque systems constructed and perpetuated by adversarial foreign actors who have controlled the DRC’s critical minerals sector.»

Cobalt and Copper mined from Chemaf’s Etoile site in Lubumbashi, DRC. (Virtus Minerals / Chemaf)

Virtus holds 56 mining licenses in total in the DRC. Phillip Braun, Virtus Minerals CEO and Chemaf chairman, told Fox News Digital, «our first goal is to bring the Étoile and Mutoshi plants up to full production. From there, we will explore everything Chemaf’s 56 mining permits have to offer — copper, cobalt and other metals like tungsten.»

«None of this would be possible,» Braun added, «without the strong partnership now growing between the United States and the DRC, and the support of leaders in both countries who saw what was possible. We look forward to bringing our two nations closer by building a steady, trusted supply of the minerals we depend on and supporting other American companies that want to invest in the DRC any way we can.»

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«A more active U.S. presence in these supply chains,» Cronje continued, «would mark a significant rebalancing of influence on the continent, with implications not only for resource access but for broader geopolitical alignment in regions that are becoming increasingly contested.»

Fox News Digital reached out to the DRC government for comment, but did not receive a response.