Iran Says It Might Rejoin American Atomic Talks provided that Treated with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'

Tehran is ready to resume atomic discussions with the United States provided that it is handled with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has stated.

Abbas Araghchi stated solely negotiations worked, and disclosed recent overtures had been made by go-betweens to reopen negotiations with the Trump administration. He claimed Iran possessed no unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to permit the UN nuclear inspectorate to inspect struck enrichment centers for safety concerns.

Walking a Challenging Route

Araghchi is walking a complex route since Iran does not want be perceived to be operating from a situation of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had arisen more powerful in military terms and emotionally from the Israeli-US attack on its enrichment centers in June.

He was speaking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will never give up" – the key factor of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Earlier Talks Abruptly Concluded

The prior phases of talks between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with US support, attacked Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that ended with the American leader claiming the facilities had been destroyed. Afterward, European countries employed their authority to reinstate global restrictions, but Iran asserts they have not had a significant effect.

Ideal Resolution Offered

Iranian officials said they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the enrichment issue in earlier negotiations, when it was decided an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since local refinement would have remained and the US could be certain that Iran's atomic project was entirely non-military.

It had not been agreed in the discussions that US nuclear scientists could operate inside Iran, but that was a logical implication of the consortium proposal. Officials asserted three times they had secured an understanding with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "opponents in the US".

Present Position

Iranian officials stated the cooperative arrangement was now withdrawn, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be reintroduced in some form if discussions restart.

The US president in recent days claimed he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to resume discussions, but confidentially Iranian officials state they are not yet receiving consistent overtures from the United States either explicitly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of passivity in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran asserts dialogue is not part of a spectacle.

Diplomatic Position

In his speech to the gathering, aimed to portray the US as a hegemonic power that misuses the idea of worldwide standards, Araghchi declared the two-week conflict showed the conflict could not be resolved by combat operations. He stated the attacks began with a US demand for an total Iran submission and culminated with an unconditional call for a truce.

Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were executed with full US knowledge and cooperation, making confidence difficult to restore.

Negotiations Continues the Ultimate Resolution

Araghchi said: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned dialogue; it was the United States and the Western nations that had repeatedly tried to dictate their will during the negotiations. Diplomacy can still be active and stays the ultimate solution to resolve disagreements, but its criteria, rules and principles must be respected."

"In case they talk to the Iranian people with the approach of respect and respect, they will get a reply in the equivalent language."

Repair and Rebuilding

In what is characterized by Tehran representatives as the battle of recovery and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was certain Iran's military capacities "are considerably enhanced than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We gained multiple understandings from this engagement; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the opponent."

He added: "We effectively endured this war. Our nuclear technology, which they aimed to destroy, remains in place. The sites and machinery, if destroyed, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the resolve of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they targeted, but failed to break. The nation of Iran have developed more resilient, more united, and more supportive of the administration and the country in the aftermath of this invasion."