🔗 Share this article

Tehran is prepared to resume atomic negotiations with Washington on condition that it is handled with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has declared.

Abbas Araghchi declared exclusively dialogue worked, and revealed fresh requests had been made by go-betweens to restart talks with the Trump administration. He asserted Iran had zero unreported enrichment locations, and Iran had not yet reached a point to allow the UN nuclear inspectorate to access bombed nuclear sites for security reasons.

Navigating a Complex Path

The foreign minister is walking a difficult course since Iran aims to avoid appear to be proceeding from a situation of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out more powerful militarily and emotionally from the joint assault on its nuclear sites in June.

He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the key factor of the stalemate in the previous talks.

Prior Talks Suddenly Ended

The earlier sessions of discussions between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and hostile end on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, targeted Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that culminated with the American leader claiming the locations had been destroyed. Subsequently, EU nations exercised their right to reimpose international penalties, but Iran maintains they have not had a major impact.

Magic Solution Suggested

Iran's diplomats claimed they felt they had achieved a "perfect agreement" to the nuclear fuel concern in previous talks, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with US participation could process nuclear material. Each party would have been able to claim victory since home-based processing would have remained and the US could be confident that Iran's atomic project was exclusively peaceful.

It had not been agreed in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could work on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the consortium proposal. Representatives stated on multiple occasions they had reached agreement with the US representative the US official only for the deal to disintegrate due to "spoilers in Washington".

Current Position

Tehran representatives declared the consortium offer was now withdrawn, but it seems quite possible the offer could be reintroduced in some form if discussions restart.

Trump recently stated he had been receiving messages that Iran wanted to restart talks, but privately Iranian officials state they are not yet receiving consistent overtures from Washington either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been charged of inactivity in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran says dialogue is not part of a show.

Negotiating Stance

In his remarks to the gathering, intended to depict the US as a controlling nation that abuses the notion of worldwide standards, the foreign minister declared the two-week conflict revealed the clash could not be resolved by military means. He stated the attacks began with a US demand for an complete Tehran capitulation and concluded with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.

Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were carried out with complete American awareness and coordination, making confidence hard to reestablish.

Diplomacy Stays the Final Solution

Araghchi said: "It was not Iran that had abandoned negotiations; it was the United States and the European states that had consistently sought to dictate their demands during the discussions. Negotiations can still be viable and stays the final solution to settle disagreements, but its requirements, regulations and tenets must be followed."

"In case they address to the citizens of Tehran with the approach of respect and respect, they will obtain a response in the equivalent language."

Restoration and Recovery

In what is described by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of repair and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was certain Iran's military capacities "are considerably enhanced than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been reestablished. We gained multiple understandings from this conflict; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the enemy."

He added: "We effectively endured this engagement. Our enrichment knowledge, which they aimed to destroy, stays intact. The facilities and gear, if destroyed, will be rebuilt; what is crucial is the will of the Iranian people and then the social solidarity that they sought to undermine, but were unable to break. The Iranian people have become stronger, more united, and more endorsing of the leadership and the state in the face of this assault."