🔗 Share this article

Tehran is ready to restart nuclear talks with the United States on condition that it is approached with "respect" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has announced.

The Iranian diplomat said solely negotiations worked, and disclosed recent overtures had been made by intermediaries to reopen negotiations with the Trump administration. He claimed Iran had zero unreported enrichment locations, and Iran was not yet able to allow the UN nuclear inspectorate to access struck enrichment centers for security reasons.

Walking a Difficult Path

Araghchi is navigating a difficult path since Iran wishes not to be seen to be proceeding from a stance of disadvantage, and he emphatically stated that Iran had emerged more powerful defensively and emotionally from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to enrich uranium on home soil that it will always maintain" – the key factor of the deadlock in the previous talks.

Previous Discussions Abruptly Terminated

The earlier sessions of talks between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and acrimonious end on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, targeted Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that culminated with Donald Trump asserting the locations had been eliminated. Afterward, Western states used their right to reinstate international penalties, but Iran maintains they have not had a significant effect.

Magic Solution Proposed

Iranian officials said they felt they had reached a "magic solution" to the nuclear fuel concern in previous talks, when it was settled an domestic cooperative with US participation could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to assert triumph since local refinement would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been settled in the negotiations that Washington's technical specialists could function inside Iran, but that was a logical implication of the consortium proposal. Diplomats claimed repeatedly they had reached agreement with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "spoilers in Washington".

Present Situation

Iran's diplomats declared the consortium offer was now no longer available, but it seems quite possible the suggestion could be revived in some form if negotiations restart.

The US president in recent days stated he had been obtaining communications that Iran sought to resume discussions, but privately Iran's diplomats state they are not yet obtaining coherent offers from America either explicitly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been accused of inactivity in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran asserts diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.

Negotiating Standpoint

In his address to the gathering, intended to paint the US as a dominant force that misuses the concept of worldwide standards, the foreign minister declared the fortnight-long engagement showed the conflict could not be ended by combat operations. He stated the strikes started with a Washington's ultimatum for an unconditional Iranian surrender and concluded with an absolute demand for a ceasefire.

Iran is assured the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were mounted with total Washington understanding and coordination, making trust challenging to reestablish.

Negotiations Stays the Ultimate Solution

Araghchi said: "It was not Iran that had abandoned diplomacy; it was America and the European states that had consistently attempted to impose their desires during the negotiations. Diplomacy can still be viable and remains the final solution to address conflicts, but its requirements, guidelines and principles must be respected."

"If they speak to the Iranian people with the language of respect and honor, they will get a reply in the identical language."

Recovery and Reconstruction

In what is characterized by Tehran representatives as the battle of restoration and rebuilding, Araghchi said he was certain Iran's defence capabilities "are much stronger than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been reestablished. We gained multiple understandings from this conflict; we have come to know our personal limitations and the weaknesses of the adversary."

He added: "We managed to survive this conflict. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to eliminate, stays intact. The installations and gear, if eliminated, will be rebuilt; what is important is the resolve of the citizens of Tehran and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but failed to break. The citizens of Tehran have developed more powerful, more integrated, and more backing of the leadership and the state in the aftermath of this assault."