Vice President Vance: “The first step has been taken towards eliminating Iran’s nuclear military program”

US Vice President J.D. Vance held a press conference on the results of the “Lucerne Summit” – the first round of Iranian-American negotiations designed to end hostilities in the Middle East.

According to him, the Iranians have agreed to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency into the country again. “This is a major achievement – the first step towards eliminating Iran’s nuclear military program,” he said.

According to the politician, the negotiations laid the foundation for a successful final agreement. “The agreement is a house. We have laid the foundation. But we have yet to build the house,” Vance said.

“We have created a mechanism that will ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open. It is also necessary to ensure the creation of a communication channel, which, in the event of shooting from one of the sides, for example, in Lebanon, would allow interaction to reduce tensions,” the vice president added.

He stressed the need to ensure both Israeli security and Lebanese sovereignty – which he said requires Iran to contain Hezbollah and Israel to act, within the framework of its right of self-defense, to avoid escalation.

“Israel has assured the United States that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon, and the purpose of its presence is to prevent Hezbollah from shelling the country,” Vance said, without directly answering the question of whether the United States demands the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon.

As for unfreezing Iranian funds, this will require a sanction not only from the United States, but also from Qatar, as well as a control mechanism that will ensure that the funds will be used for the benefit of the Iranians and not to finance terrorism.

Let us add: the Iranian side states that during the negotiations issues related to the nuclear program were not discussed – despite the participation of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, at the summit.