Iran Says It May Resume US Atomic Negotiations provided that Treated with 'Respect' and 'Respect'

Iran is ready to reinitiate atomic negotiations with Washington as long as it is approached with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has declared.

Abbas Araghchi declared only diplomacy produced results, and revealed new appeals had originated from go-betweens to resume discussions with the US government. He said Iran had zero secret atomic facilities, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit bombed nuclear sites for safety concerns.

Navigating a Difficult Route

Araghchi is navigating a challenging route since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be operating from a situation of disadvantage, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged stronger in military terms and mentally from the joint assault on its nuclear sites in June.

He was speaking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will never give up" – the key factor of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.

Prior Discussions Unexpectedly Terminated

The prior phases of talks between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and bitter conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, attacked Tehran's atomic facilities in a two-week conflict that culminated with the American leader asserting the facilities had been eliminated. Afterward, EU nations employed their authority to reimpose UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a substantial consequence.

Magic Solution Proposed

Iran's diplomats stated they felt they had achieved a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could process nuclear material. The two nations would have been able to assert triumph since home-based processing would have continued and the US could be confident that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.

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 cooperative offer. Officials claimed repeatedly they had reached agreement with Trump's special envoy the American negotiator only for the agreement to fall apart due to "opponents in the US".

Present Status

Iran's diplomats said the cooperative arrangement was now off the table, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be reintroduced in certain ways if negotiations reopen.

The US president recently claimed he had been getting signals that Iran wanted to restart talks, but confidentially Tehran representatives claim they are not yet receiving consistent overtures from Washington either explicitly or from key regional mediators, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been criticized of passivity in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran says negotiations is not part of a performance.

Negotiating Standpoint

In his address to the forum, designed to depict the US as a dominant force that misuses the concept of worldwide standards, the foreign minister stated the 12-day war demonstrated the conflict could not be settled by combat operations. He asserted the strikes commenced with a US demand for an complete Tehran capitulation and concluded with an complete request for a ceasefire.

Iran is convinced the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were executed with full US knowledge and cooperation, making confidence difficult to restore.

Diplomacy Continues the Ultimate Answer

Araghchi stated: "Tehran was not the one that had fled diplomacy; it was America and the Western nations that had always sought to impose their desires during the discussions. Diplomacy can still be active and continues the primary solution to address disagreements, but its standards, rules and tenets must be adhered to."

"If they talk to the Iranian people with the language of respect and honor, they will obtain a answer in the same language."

Repair and Reconstruction

In what is characterized by Iranian officials as the conflict of repair and rebuilding, Araghchi said he was confident Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been restored. We learned multiple understandings from this war; we have discovered our own weaknesses and the weaknesses of the opponent."

He continued: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our atomic expertise, which they planned to eliminate, stays intact. The installations and equipment, if destroyed, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the determination of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to break. The nation of Iran have developed more resilient, more united, and more backing of the government and the nation in the aftermath of this invasion."