Tehran Says It May Rejoin American Nuclear Discussions provided that Approached with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Tehran is willing to restart nuclear talks with Washington provided that it is treated with "respect" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has stated.
The Iranian diplomat stated exclusively dialogue produced results, and shared new appeals had come from go-betweens to resume discussions with the Trump administration. He asserted Iran possessed no secret atomic facilities, and Tehran was not yet able to permit the global atomic watchdog to access struck enrichment centers for safety concerns.
Navigating a Complex Path
The foreign minister is walking a difficult path since Iran wishes not to be seen to be proceeding from a stance of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged more resilient militarily and emotionally from the coordinated strike on its nuclear sites in June.
He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to refine atomic fuel on home soil that it will always maintain" – the main reason of the impasse in the previous talks.
Previous Discussions Unexpectedly Terminated
The earlier sessions of discussions between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious end on 12 June when the Israeli government, with Washington's assistance, struck Iranian nuclear sites in a 12-day war that ended with the US president claiming the facilities had been destroyed. Subsequently, Western states employed their authority to reinstate international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.
Magic Solution Proposed
Tehran representatives said they felt they had achieved a "ideal resolution" to the uranium processing matter in prior discussions, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could refine atomic fuel. Both sides would have been able to claim victory since home-based processing would have persisted and the US could be assured that Iran's enrichment initiative was entirely non-military.
It had not been settled in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could work inside Iran, but that was a natural consequence of the consortium proposal. Diplomats asserted three times they had secured an understanding with the US representative Steve Witkoff only for the agreement to collapse due to "opponents in the US".
Current Status
Iran's diplomats declared the partnership proposal was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the offer could be reintroduced in some form if talks reopen.
The US president last week stated he had been receiving messages that Iran sought to restart talks, but in private Iran's diplomats state they are not yet getting clear proposals from Washington either explicitly or from key regional mediators, such as Qatar, Egypt, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been charged of passivity in the aftermath of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran states diplomacy is not part of a performance.
Diplomatic Position
In his address to the forum, aimed to depict the US as a dominant force that misuses the concept of worldwide standards, Araghchi stated the two-week conflict showed the conflict could not be settled by combat operations. He asserted the strikes commenced with a American requirement for an complete Tehran capitulation and concluded with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is assured the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were executed with total Washington understanding and coordination, making confidence hard to reestablish.
Dialogue Continues the Ultimate Answer
The foreign minister said: "It was not Iran that had fled negotiations; it was America and the European states that had repeatedly attempted to enforce their will during the talks. Dialogue can still be active and remains the ultimate answer to settle disputes, but its requirements, regulations and fundamentals must be adhered to."
"If they address to the citizens of Tehran with the approach of dignity and honor, they will get a reply in the identical language."
Recovery and Rebuilding
In what is described by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of restoration and reconstruction, Araghchi said he was certain Iran's defence capabilities "have significantly improved than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been rebuilt. We learned multiple understandings from this war; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the weaknesses of the enemy."
He continued: "We effectively endured this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to destroy, stays intact. The sites and equipment, if eliminated, will be reconstructed; what is crucial is the determination of the citizens of Tehran and then the unity of the country that they targeted, but were unable to break. The Iranian people have become more powerful, more united, and more endorsing of the administration and the state in the aftermath of this assault."