🔗 Share this article

Tehran is prepared to restart atomic discussions with Washington provided that it is approached with "respect" and "honor", Tehran's foreign minister has declared.

The Iranian diplomat declared exclusively dialogue was effective, and shared recent overtures had originated from intermediaries to restart talks with the US government. He claimed Iran had zero unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran could not yet authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to access struck enrichment centers for protective measures.

Walking a Challenging Route

The foreign minister is navigating a challenging route since Iran does not want be perceived to be acting from a situation of disadvantage, and he consistently maintained that Iran had emerged stronger militarily and psychologically from the coordinated strike on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to enrich uranium on home soil that it will never give up" – the main reason of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.

Earlier Talks Suddenly Concluded

The previous five rounds of discussions between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and bitter termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, struck Iranian nuclear sites in a two-week conflict that concluded with Donald Trump claiming the locations had been destroyed. Subsequently, EU nations exercised their authority to restore UN-wide sanctions, but Iran asserts they have not had a major impact.

Magic Solution Proposed

Iranian officials stated they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the nuclear fuel concern in prior discussions, when it was settled an local partnership with US participation could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to declare success since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be confident that Iran's nuclear programme was exclusively peaceful.

It had not been settled in the talks that Washington's technical specialists could function on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the cooperative offer. Representatives stated on multiple occasions they had reached agreement with Washington's diplomat the American negotiator only for the deal to collapse due to "detractors in America".

Current Position

Iran's diplomats declared the partnership proposal was now off the table, but it seems very probable the proposal could be revived in certain ways if talks resume.

The American leader last week claimed he had been getting signals that Iran desired to restart talks, but confidentially Tehran representatives say they are not yet obtaining clear proposals from the United States either straightforwardly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been accused of non-responsiveness in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran says diplomacy is not part of a performance.

Negotiating Stance

In his speech to the forum, aimed to paint the US as a hegemonic power that exploits the idea of international law, the foreign minister stated the 12-day war demonstrated the conflict could not be settled by military means. He stated the attacks started with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an absolute demand for a truce.

Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were mounted with full US knowledge and coordination, making faith hard to restore.

Dialogue Stays the Primary Answer

The foreign minister stated: "It was not Iran that had abandoned diplomacy; it was the United States and the western countries that had always tried to dictate their desires during the talks. Diplomacy can still be active and continues the primary solution to resolve disputes, but its requirements, rules and tenets must be respected."

"In case they speak to the citizens of Tehran with the language of dignity and respect, they will receive a reply in the equivalent language."

Restoration and Rebuilding

In what is characterized by Iran's diplomats as the battle of recovery and reconstruction, Araghchi claimed he was assured Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been restored. We acquired numerous insights from this engagement; we have identified our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the enemy."

He continued: "We effectively endured this conflict. Our atomic expertise, which they aimed to destroy, stays intact. The facilities and machinery, if damaged, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the determination of the Iranian people and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but did not succeed to destroy. The citizens of Tehran have developed more powerful, more integrated, and more endorsing of the administration and the nation in the aftermath of this invasion."