🔗 Share this article

Tehran is ready to resume nuclear discussions with the United States provided that it is treated with "dignity" and "honor", Tehran's top diplomat has stated.

The Iranian diplomat said solely negotiations worked, and disclosed new appeals had originated from go-betweens to reopen negotiations with the US government. He asserted Iran did not have undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran had not yet reached a point to authorize the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit attacked atomic facilities for protective measures.

Walking a Challenging Path

The foreign minister is navigating a complex path since Iran wishes not to be seen to be acting from a situation of weakness, and he consistently maintained that Iran had come out stronger militarily and emotionally from the coordinated strike on its nuclear sites in June.

He was speaking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an absolute privilege to enrich uranium within its borders that it will always maintain" – the primary cause of the stalemate in the previous talks.

Prior Talks Unexpectedly Terminated

The prior phases of talks between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and hostile end on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, targeted Iran's enrichment centers in a two-week conflict that ended with the US president asserting the locations had been destroyed. Afterward, EU nations employed their authority to reinstate international penalties, but Iran asserts they have not had a significant effect.

Ideal Resolution Proposed

Iranian officials stated they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the uranium processing matter in earlier negotiations, when it was settled an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could refine atomic fuel. Both sides would have been able to claim victory since local refinement would have persisted and the US could be certain that Iran's atomic project was exclusively peaceful.

It had not been settled in the negotiations that Washington's technical specialists could work inside Iran, but that was a logical implication of the partnership suggestion. Officials stated on multiple occasions they had reached agreement with the US representative Steve Witkoff only for the deal to fall apart due to "spoilers in Washington".

Current Status

Iran's diplomats said the cooperative arrangement was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the proposal could be revived in various formats if negotiations reopen.

The US president last week said he had been getting signals that Iran wanted to reopen negotiations, but privately Iranian officials claim they are not yet getting clear proposals from the United States either directly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been charged of non-responsiveness in the aftermath of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran says dialogue is not part of a performance.

Political Standpoint

In his address to the forum, intended to depict the US as a dominant force that abuses the concept of global regulations, the foreign minister said the 12-day war revealed the conflict could not be resolved by military means. He said the strikes began with a American requirement for an complete Tehran capitulation and ended with an unconditional call for a ceasefire.

Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were carried out with complete American awareness and collaboration, making confidence difficult to reestablish.

Negotiations Continues the Final Resolution

Araghchi declared: "It was not Iran that had deserted negotiations; it was the United States and the western countries that had always sought to enforce their will during the talks. Diplomacy can still be active and continues the primary solution to settle disagreements, but its criteria, regulations and fundamentals must be followed."

"In case they address to the citizens of Tehran with the language of respect and honor, they will get a response in the same approach."

Repair and Rebuilding

In what is characterized by Tehran representatives as the battle of recovery and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was assured Iran's security strengths "have significantly improved than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been restored. We learned many lessons from this engagement; we have discovered our own weaknesses and the shortcomings of the opponent."

He stated: "We successfully passed this conflict. Our enrichment knowledge, which they planned to eliminate, stays intact. The installations 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 resilient, more integrated, and more backing of the leadership and the country in the wake of this invasion."