Iran Says It Might Rejoin US Atomic Negotiations if Approached with 'Dignity' and 'Honor'

Tehran is willing to restart nuclear talks with Washington on condition that it is treated with "dignity" and "respect", Tehran's top diplomat has declared.

The Iranian diplomat declared only diplomacy was effective, and shared recent overtures had been made by mediators to restart talks with the American leadership. He said Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran was not yet able to permit the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect struck enrichment centers for protective measures.

Navigating a Difficult Path

Araghchi is navigating a difficult course since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be operating from a situation of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged more powerful defensively and psychologically from the Israeli-US attack on its enrichment centers in June.

He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material on home soil that it will perpetually retain" – the primary cause of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Earlier Talks Unexpectedly Terminated

The prior phases of talks between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with Washington's assistance, struck Iranian nuclear sites in a 12-day war that culminated with Donald Trump claiming the locations had been obliterated. Afterward, Western states exercised their privilege to reimpose UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.

Perfect Agreement Proposed

Iranian officials said they felt they had reached a "perfect agreement" to the enrichment issue in prior discussions, when it was decided an domestic cooperative with US participation could refine atomic fuel. Both sides would have been able to assert triumph since local refinement would have remained and the US could be confident that Iran's atomic project was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been settled in the discussions that American atomic experts could operate within Iranian territory, but that was a logical implication of the cooperative offer. Representatives claimed three times they had achieved a deal with Trump's special envoy the US official only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "spoilers in Washington".

Current Situation

Tehran representatives said the cooperative arrangement was now withdrawn, but it seems highly likely the offer could be resurrected in certain ways if discussions resume.

The US president in recent days said he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to reopen negotiations, but privately Tehran representatives claim they are not yet getting clear proposals from Washington either explicitly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been charged of passivity in the wake of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran states diplomacy is not part of a show.

Political Standpoint

In his remarks to the gathering, aimed to depict the US as a controlling nation that exploits the idea of global regulations, the foreign minister declared the two-week conflict revealed the clash could not be resolved by military means. He said the strikes commenced with a Washington's ultimatum for an unconditional Iranian surrender and culminated with an complete request for a ceasefire.

Iran is certain the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were carried out with complete American awareness and cooperation, making confidence difficult to restore.

Diplomacy Stays the Final Resolution

The foreign minister declared: "It was not Iran that had fled diplomacy; it was the United States and the western countries that had always sought to enforce their will during the negotiations. Negotiations can still be alive and stays the ultimate solution to address disputes, but its requirements, regulations and principles must be respected."

"In case they speak to the Iranian people with the tone of dignity and honor, they will obtain a reply in the same language."

Recovery and Reconstruction

In what is portrayed by Tehran representatives as the struggle of recovery and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was assured Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been rebuilt. We learned numerous insights from this engagement; we have identified our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the adversary."

He stated: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our enrichment knowledge, which they aimed to obliterate, continues to exist. The facilities and equipment, if eliminated, will be restored; 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 stronger, more united, and more backing of the government and the country in the wake of this invasion."