Tehran Says It Could Resume US Nuclear Negotiations provided that Treated with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Tehran is prepared to resume atomic discussions with Washington on condition that it is handled with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has stated.
The Iranian diplomat said exclusively dialogue was effective, and revealed fresh requests had been made by intermediaries to resume discussions with the US government. He said Iran had zero secret atomic facilities, and Tehran could not yet permit the global atomic watchdog to visit attacked atomic facilities for protective measures.
Walking a Difficult Route
Araghchi is walking a difficult course since Iran wishes not to appear to be proceeding from a situation of disadvantage, and he emphatically stated that Iran had emerged more resilient in military terms and emotionally from the coordinated strike on its nuclear sites in June.
He was talking at a security conference 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 prior discussions.
Prior Discussions Unexpectedly Concluded
The prior phases of negotiations between the United States and Iran were brought to an abrupt and hostile termination on 12 June when Israel, with US support, targeted Tehran's atomic facilities in a two-week conflict that concluded with Donald Trump claiming the sites had been eliminated. Subsequently, Western states exercised their authority to restore UN-wide sanctions, but Iran asserts they have not had a significant effect.
Ideal Resolution Proposed
Iranian officials stated they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the uranium processing matter in previous talks, when it was agreed an domestic cooperative with US participation could refine atomic fuel. The two nations would have been able to declare success since local refinement would have remained and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was solely for peaceful purposes.
It had not been agreed in the discussions that US nuclear scientists could function on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the cooperative offer. Representatives stated 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".
Present Situation
Iranian officials declared the consortium offer was now withdrawn, but it seems very probable the suggestion could be reintroduced in certain ways if negotiations resume.
Trump last week said he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to reopen negotiations, but privately Tehran representatives state they are not yet obtaining consistent overtures from the United States either straightforwardly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, Egypt, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of passivity in the face of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran asserts dialogue is not part of a spectacle.
Diplomatic Standpoint
In his address to the gathering, aimed to paint the US as a hegemonic power that exploits the concept of international law, the foreign minister stated the 12-day war revealed the clash could not be ended by armed force. He asserted the attacks began with a US demand for an total Iran submission and concluded with an absolute demand for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is assured the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were mounted with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making confidence challenging to rebuild.
Dialogue Continues the Final Resolution
The foreign minister said: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned diplomacy; it was America and the European states that had consistently attempted to dictate their demands during the talks. Diplomacy can still be active and continues the primary answer to resolve disputes, but its criteria, regulations and fundamentals must be followed."
"Provided that they address to the citizens of Tehran with the approach of dignity and respect, they will receive a response in the same language."
Repair and Recovery
In what is portrayed by Tehran representatives as the conflict of restoration and reconstruction, the foreign minister said he was certain Iran's military capacities "have significantly improved than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been reestablished. We learned multiple understandings from this engagement; we have come to know our internal vulnerabilities and the shortcomings of the opponent."
He continued: "We managed to survive this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they planned to destroy, stays intact. The facilities and machinery, if damaged, will be restored; what is essential is the determination of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but were unable to destroy. The citizens of Tehran have grown stronger, more integrated, and more supportive of the leadership and the country in the wake of this assault."