Tehran Says It Could Resume US Nuclear Discussions provided that Treated with 'Dignity' and 'Honor'
Iran is ready to resume atomic negotiations with the United States provided that it is handled with "respect" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has declared.
The Iranian diplomat said only diplomacy was effective, and disclosed new appeals had been made by intermediaries to resume discussions with the US government. He said Iran possessed no secret atomic facilities, and Iran had not yet reached a point to authorize the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit struck enrichment centers for safety concerns.
Navigating a Challenging Path
Araghchi is treading a complex route since Iran does not want be perceived to be acting from a stance of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had emerged more powerful defensively and psychologically from the Israeli-US attack on its atomic facilities in June.
He was speaking at a security conference in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material within its borders that it will perpetually retain" – the key factor of the stalemate in the prior discussions.
Previous Negotiations Suddenly Terminated
The previous five rounds of talks between the United States and Iran were brought to an abrupt and bitter end on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, targeted Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that concluded with the American leader claiming the facilities had been obliterated. Afterward, EU nations used their right to reimpose UN-wide sanctions, but Iran maintains they have not had a major impact.
Ideal Resolution Suggested
Iran's diplomats said they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the uranium processing matter in prior discussions, when it was agreed an domestic cooperative with Washington's engagement could refine atomic fuel. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since home-based processing would have persisted and the US could be assured that Iran's nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes.
It had not been agreed in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could operate within Iranian territory, but that was a natural consequence of the cooperative offer. Representatives asserted three times they had achieved a deal with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff only for the agreement to disintegrate due to "spoilers in Washington".
Current Status
Iran's diplomats declared the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the offer could be resurrected in various formats if talks reopen.
The American leader last week claimed he had been getting signals that Iran desired to resume discussions, but privately Iranian officials state they are not yet receiving coherent offers from the United States either explicitly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been criticized of passivity in the face of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran asserts dialogue is not part of a spectacle.
Negotiating Stance
In his address to the gathering, intended to depict the US as a dominant force that exploits the concept of global regulations, Araghchi declared the two-week conflict showed the dispute could not be resolved by combat operations. He said the assaults commenced with a Washington's ultimatum for an unconditional Iranian surrender and concluded with an absolute demand for a ceasefire.
Iran is assured the initial Israeli attacks were carried out with complete American awareness and coordination, making faith difficult to reestablish.
Negotiations Remains the Ultimate Answer
The foreign minister said: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned diplomacy; it was America and the European states that had always attempted to impose their will during the negotiations. Diplomacy can still be alive and remains the ultimate solution to settle disputes, but its requirements, guidelines and tenets must be adhered to."
"Provided that they address to the Iranian people with the language of dignity and respect, they will obtain a response in the identical approach."
Restoration and Recovery
In what is described by Tehran representatives as the struggle of repair and rebuilding, Araghchi claimed he was confident Iran's military capacities "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 engagement; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the enemy."
He stated: "We effectively endured this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they aimed to eliminate, continues to exist. The facilities and equipment, if destroyed, will be reconstructed; what is crucial is the determination of the citizens of Tehran and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but failed to destroy. The Iranian people have become more powerful, more united, and more supportive of the leadership and the state in the aftermath of this assault."