Tehran Says It Could Rejoin American Atomic Talks provided that Handled with 'Respect' and 'Honor'

Iran is willing to reinitiate nuclear discussions with the United States provided that it is treated with "respect" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has declared.

Abbas Araghchi said only diplomacy produced results, and revealed new appeals had originated from mediators to reopen negotiations with the Trump administration. He said Iran did not have undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran could not yet authorize the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect bombed nuclear sites for security reasons.

Walking a Difficult Path

Araghchi is navigating a challenging course since Iran does not want be seen to be operating from a stance of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged more resilient militarily and emotionally from the coordinated strike on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material within its borders that it will always maintain" – the primary cause of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.

Earlier Talks Suddenly Ended

The earlier sessions of discussions between the United States and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, struck Tehran's atomic facilities in a fortnight-long engagement that concluded with Donald Trump claiming the locations had been eliminated. Afterward, EU nations used their privilege to restore international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a substantial consequence.

Magic Solution Suggested

Iran's diplomats claimed they felt they had reached a "perfect agreement" to the enrichment issue in earlier negotiations, when it was settled an local partnership with US participation could process nuclear material. Each party would have been able to declare success since local refinement would have remained and the US could be confident that Iran's enrichment initiative was exclusively peaceful.

It had not been settled in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could work within Iranian territory, but that was a natural consequence of the cooperative offer. Representatives stated three times they had achieved a deal with Trump's special envoy the US official only for the agreement to disintegrate due to "detractors in America".

Existing Position

Tehran representatives stated the cooperative arrangement was now off the table, but it seems quite possible the offer could be revived in some form if discussions resume.

The US president last week said he had been getting signals that Iran sought to reopen negotiations, but privately Tehran representatives claim they are not yet getting clear proposals from Washington either directly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been criticized of inactivity in the wake of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran asserts negotiations is not part of a performance.

Political Standpoint

In his speech to the gathering, aimed to depict the US as a dominant force that exploits the concept of international law, the foreign minister declared the two-week conflict revealed the conflict could not be ended by combat operations. He stated the assaults began with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an unconditional call for a truce.

Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were carried out with full US knowledge and collaboration, making confidence difficult to rebuild.

Diplomacy Remains the Ultimate Answer

Araghchi declared: "It was not Iran that had fled diplomacy; it was America and the European states that had consistently tried to dictate their will during the negotiations. Negotiations can still be viable and continues the final solution to resolve disagreements, but its standards, regulations and tenets must be followed."

"In case they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the language of dignity and respect, they will receive a response in the identical tone."

Repair and Rebuilding

In what is described by Tehran representatives as the battle of repair and reconstruction, the foreign minister stated he was assured Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We learned many lessons from this conflict; we have identified our own weaknesses and the shortcomings of the opponent."

He stated: "We successfully passed this engagement. Our atomic expertise, which they intended to destroy, stays intact. The facilities and gear, if eliminated, will be restored; what is essential is the resolve of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but were unable to break. The Iranian people have become more resilient, more united, and more endorsing of the leadership and the state in the face of this invasion."