Tehran Says It Might Return to American Atomic Talks if Treated with 'Respect' and 'Respect'
Iran is ready to reinitiate nuclear negotiations with Washington as long as it is treated with "respect" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has stated.
Abbas Araghchi declared exclusively dialogue worked, and shared fresh requests had come from intermediaries to reopen negotiations with the US government. He asserted Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran had not yet reached a point to permit the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect bombed nuclear sites for safety concerns.
Walking a Difficult Path
The foreign minister is navigating a complex course since Iran aims to avoid appear to be operating from a stance of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had come out more resilient in military terms and psychologically from the Israeli-US attack on its enrichment centers in June.
He was talking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an absolute privilege to refine atomic fuel on home soil that it will never give up" – the main reason of the deadlock in the prior discussions.
Prior Talks Suddenly Terminated
The earlier sessions of talks between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and bitter termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, struck Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that culminated with the American leader claiming the sites had been eliminated. Afterward, EU nations used their privilege to reinstate UN-wide sanctions, but Iran asserts they have not had a significant effect.
Ideal Resolution Proposed
Iran's diplomats claimed they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the nuclear fuel concern in prior discussions, when it was agreed an domestic cooperative with American involvement could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to declare success since home-based processing would have continued and the US could be confident that Iran's atomic project was exclusively peaceful.
It had not been agreed in the talks that US nuclear scientists could operate on Iranian soil, but that was a logical implication of the cooperative offer. Officials asserted three times they had secured an understanding with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "opponents in the US".
Current Position
Tehran representatives stated the cooperative arrangement was now no longer available, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be resurrected in some form if talks restart.
The American leader last week stated he had been getting signals that Iran sought to resume discussions, but confidentially Iran's diplomats 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, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of non-responsiveness in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran states negotiations is not part of a show.
Negotiating Stance
In his speech to the forum, intended to portray the US as a dominant force that exploits the concept of global regulations, Araghchi stated the two-week conflict revealed the dispute could not be resolved by military means. He asserted the attacks started with a US demand for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an absolute demand for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were mounted with complete American awareness and cooperation, making confidence challenging to reestablish.
Diplomacy Continues the Final Answer
Araghchi declared: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned diplomacy; it was America and the western countries that had always tried to impose their will during the discussions. Negotiations can still be alive and continues the final resolution to address disputes, but its requirements, guidelines and principles must be followed."
"In case they address to the citizens of Tehran with the approach of dignity and respect, they will obtain a answer in the equivalent approach."
Restoration and Rebuilding
In what is described by Tehran representatives as the conflict of recovery and reconstruction, Araghchi claimed he was assured Iran's security strengths "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We learned multiple understandings from this conflict; we have discovered our internal vulnerabilities and the shortcomings of the opponent."
He stated: "We managed to survive this conflict. Our atomic expertise, which they intended to destroy, continues to exist. The installations and gear, if eliminated, will be rebuilt; what is crucial is the resolve of the Iranian people and then the social solidarity that they sought to undermine, but failed to shatter. The nation of Iran have grown more powerful, more united, and more endorsing of the administration and the nation in the aftermath of this invasion."