🔗 Share this article

Tehran is prepared to reinitiate nuclear talks with the United States on condition that it is treated with "dignity" and "honor", Tehran's top diplomat has stated.

Abbas Araghchi declared solely negotiations was effective, and disclosed new appeals had originated from intermediaries to reopen talks with the Trump administration. He claimed Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran could not yet authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to visit struck enrichment centers for safety concerns.

Walking a Difficult Path

The foreign minister is navigating a challenging path since Iran aims to avoid appear to be operating from a position of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out stronger militarily and psychologically from the coordinated strike on its nuclear sites in June.

He was speaking at a security conference in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an absolute privilege to process nuclear material domestically that it will always maintain" – the key factor of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Earlier Discussions Suddenly Ended

The earlier sessions of talks between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and hostile conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, targeted Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that concluded with Donald Trump claiming the sites had been obliterated. Following this, Western states employed their authority to restore UN-wide sanctions, but Iran asserts they have not had a substantial consequence.

Perfect Agreement Proposed

Iranian officials claimed they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, when it was decided an domestic cooperative with American involvement could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be certain that Iran's atomic project was exclusively peaceful.

It had not been agreed in the talks that American atomic experts could work on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Representatives asserted three times they had secured an understanding with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the deal to collapse due to "spoilers in Washington".

Current Status

Iranian officials declared the partnership proposal was now no longer available, but it seems highly likely the suggestion could be resurrected in some form if talks resume.

Trump in recent days stated he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to restart talks, but in private Iranian officials state they are not yet receiving coherent offers from the United States either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of non-responsiveness in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran says negotiations is not part of a spectacle.

Diplomatic Standpoint

In his remarks to the gathering, designed to portray the US as a dominant force that exploits the notion of worldwide standards, Araghchi said the fortnight-long engagement revealed the dispute could not be ended by armed force. He asserted the attacks began with a Washington's ultimatum for an total Iran submission and culminated with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.

Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were executed with full US knowledge and collaboration, making faith difficult to rebuild.

Diplomacy Remains the Ultimate Resolution

The foreign minister said: "It was not Iran that had deserted negotiations; it was the United States and the European states that had repeatedly attempted to impose their will during the talks. Diplomacy can still be active and continues the primary resolution to settle disagreements, but its standards, regulations and fundamentals must be adhered to."

"Provided that they address to the citizens of Tehran with the language of respect and honor, they will obtain a reply in the equivalent language."

Restoration and Reconstruction

In what is portrayed by Iranian officials as the conflict of repair and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was assured Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We acquired numerous insights from this conflict; we have come to know our personal limitations and the vulnerabilities of the enemy."

He added: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to eliminate, continues to exist. The installations and machinery, if eliminated, will be restored; 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 citizens of Tehran have developed more powerful, more cohesive, and more endorsing of the leadership and the country in the aftermath of this assault."