Tehran Says It Might Return to American Nuclear Talks provided that Treated with 'Respect' and 'Respect'

Tehran is willing to reinitiate nuclear discussions with Washington as long as it is handled with "respect" and "honor", Tehran's foreign minister has announced.

Abbas Araghchi declared only diplomacy was effective, and shared fresh requests had been made by intermediaries to restart discussions with the American leadership. He asserted Iran possessed no secret atomic facilities, and Iran was not yet able to permit the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit attacked atomic facilities for safety concerns.

Navigating a Complex Path

The foreign minister is walking a difficult path since Iran aims to avoid appear to be operating from a position of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out more resilient in military terms and psychologically from the coordinated strike on its nuclear sites in June.

He was addressing 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 never give up" – the main reason of the stalemate in the prior discussions.

Prior Negotiations Abruptly Terminated

The prior phases of talks between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and bitter termination on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, attacked Iran's enrichment centers in a two-week conflict that culminated with Donald Trump claiming the sites had been eliminated. Subsequently, EU nations used their privilege to reimpose UN-wide sanctions, but Iran maintains they have not had a substantial consequence.

Ideal Resolution Suggested

Tehran representatives claimed they felt they had achieved a "perfect agreement" to the uranium processing matter in previous talks, when it was decided an domestic cooperative with Washington's engagement could refine atomic fuel. Both sides would have been able to declare success since local refinement would have persisted and the US could be certain that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely non-military.

It had not been agreed in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could function on Iranian soil, but that was a reasonable assumption of the cooperative offer. Officials claimed three times they had reached agreement with Trump's special envoy the US official only for the deal to fall apart due to "spoilers in Washington".

Existing Position

Iranian officials said the cooperative arrangement was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the proposal could be resurrected in some form if discussions resume.

Trump in recent days claimed he had been receiving messages that Iran sought to reopen negotiations, but privately Iran's diplomats say they are not yet getting consistent overtures from Washington either directly or from key regional mediators, such as Qatar, Egypt, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of passivity in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran says diplomacy is not part of a performance.

Political Position

In his remarks to the forum, aimed to depict the US as a dominant force that abuses the concept of worldwide standards, Araghchi said the 12-day war demonstrated the dispute could not be ended by armed force. He asserted the assaults commenced with a American requirement for an unconditional Iranian surrender and ended with an complete request for a truce.

Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were carried out with total Washington understanding and coordination, making confidence difficult to restore.

Negotiations Remains the Primary Answer

Araghchi said: "It was not Iran that had abandoned negotiations; it was the United States and the Western nations that had consistently tried to dictate their will during the talks. Negotiations can still be viable and stays the final answer to address disputes, but its standards, regulations and fundamentals must be followed."

"In case they talk to the Iranian people with the language of respect and respect, they will receive a reply in the equivalent language."

Repair and Rebuilding

In what is portrayed by Tehran representatives as the struggle of recovery and reconstruction, Araghchi said he was certain Iran's security strengths "have significantly improved than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been rebuilt. We acquired numerous insights from this engagement; we have come to know our personal limitations and the weaknesses of the adversary."

He continued: "We managed to survive this conflict. Our nuclear technology, which they aimed to destroy, continues to exist. The facilities and gear, if eliminated, will be rebuilt; what is important is the resolve of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to break. The citizens of Tehran have become stronger, more cohesive, and more supportive of the government and the country in the wake of this attack."