🔗 Share this article

Iran is willing to resume nuclear negotiations with Washington provided that it is handled with "respect" and "honor", Tehran's top diplomat has stated.

Abbas Araghchi said solely negotiations produced results, and revealed recent overtures had originated from go-betweens to restart negotiations with the American leadership. He said Iran had zero secret atomic facilities, and Iran was not yet able to allow the UN nuclear inspectorate to inspect struck enrichment centers for protective measures.

Navigating a Difficult Path

The foreign minister is walking a difficult route since Iran does not want be seen to be proceeding from a situation of disadvantage, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out stronger militarily and psychologically from the Israeli-US attack on its nuclear sites in June.

He was addressing at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an inalienable right to refine atomic fuel on home soil that it will always maintain" – the key factor of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.

Prior Talks Unexpectedly Terminated

The previous five rounds of discussions between the United States and Iran were brought to an abrupt and bitter conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, attacked Iran's enrichment centers in a two-week conflict that culminated with the American leader asserting the sites had been destroyed. Afterward, Western states employed their privilege to restore UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.

Magic Solution Offered

Tehran representatives stated they felt they had achieved a "ideal resolution" to the nuclear fuel concern in prior discussions, when it was decided an local partnership with American involvement could enrich uranium. Each party would have been able to declare success since domestic enrichment would have remained and the US could be certain that Iran's atomic project was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been settled in the negotiations that US nuclear scientists could operate within Iranian territory, but that was a natural consequence of the consortium proposal. Officials stated repeatedly they had reached agreement with Trump's special envoy the American negotiator only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "opponents in the US".

Present Status

Tehran representatives said the partnership proposal was now withdrawn, but it seems highly likely the suggestion could be resurrected in some form if negotiations reopen.

The US president last week stated he had been receiving messages that Iran sought to resume discussions, but confidentially Tehran representatives say they are not yet obtaining coherent offers from America either directly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been accused of passivity in the wake of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran says diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.

Negotiating Stance

In his address to the conference, intended to depict the US as a hegemonic power that exploits the concept of worldwide standards, Araghchi declared the 12-day war showed the conflict could not be resolved by military means. He stated the attacks commenced with a Washington's ultimatum for an total Iran submission and culminated with an unconditional call for a truce.

Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were executed with total Washington understanding and coordination, making faith hard to rebuild.

Dialogue Continues the Primary Resolution

Araghchi stated: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned diplomacy; it was America and the Western nations that had consistently sought to enforce their desires during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be active and remains the final resolution to address disputes, but its standards, regulations and tenets must be adhered to."

"Provided that they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the approach of dignity and honor, they will get a reply in the equivalent language."

Repair and Reconstruction

In what is portrayed by Tehran representatives as the battle of repair and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was confident Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been rebuilt. We learned multiple understandings from this conflict; we have come to know our personal limitations and the vulnerabilities of the adversary."

He added: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our enrichment knowledge, which they aimed to eliminate, continues to exist. The installations and machinery, if damaged, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the will of the citizens of Tehran and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but did not succeed to destroy. The Iranian people have developed more resilient, more cohesive, and more supportive of the administration and the nation in the wake of this invasion."