Trump threatens to cancel contacts with Iran if there is no agreement on inspections

WASHINGTON, June 23. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has threatened to cancel further meetings between US officials and their Iranian counterparts if there is no agreement between Tehran and Washington regarding the return of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to the Islamic Republic.

Speaking to journalists upon arrival in Reading, Pennsylvania, the US leader assured that an agreement between Tehran and Washington regarding the arrival of IAEA inspectors in Iran already exists. "They [Iranian officials - TASS] told us inside [during the face-to-face negotiations that took place in Switzerland on June 21-22 - TASS], and we have it down 100% inspections, and if they were right [regarding the lack of understanding on inspections], I'd cancel the [upcoming] meetings right now," Trump stated.

In the vicinity of neighboring Allentown, he will later visit a truck assembly plant and then deliver a speech on economic issues.

Memorandum and talks

On June 17, the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. A formal signing ceremony was initially scheduled to take place in Switzerland’s Burgenstock on June 19. However, it was announced in the early morning hours of June 18 that the document had been signed remotely by the parties involved. According to media reports, US leader Donald Trump personally signed a copy of the agreement during a dinner with the French president at the Palace of Versailles. The signatory for Iran was President Masoud Pezeshkian.

On June 21, the US and Iran held talks in Switzerland’s Burgenstock, with Qatar and Pakistan acting as mediators, to discuss the implementation of the memorandum of understanding. According to a joint statement by Pakistan and Qatar after the first round of talks concluded, the meeting between Iranian and US representatives took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere. Encouraging progress was made, including establishing a foundation for further technical negotiations.