Tehran Declares It May Return to US Nuclear Discussions provided that Approached with 'Respect' and 'Respect'
Iran is ready to reinitiate atomic negotiations with Washington provided that it is handled with "dignity" and "honor", Tehran's top diplomat has announced.
Abbas Araghchi declared solely negotiations worked, and disclosed recent overtures had been made by go-betweens to restart negotiations with the US government. He claimed Iran had zero unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to access attacked atomic facilities for safety concerns.
Walking a Challenging Route
Araghchi is walking a complex route since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be proceeding from a position of vulnerability, and he emphatically stated that Iran had emerged more powerful in military terms and emotionally from the Israeli-US attack on its atomic facilities in June.
He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to enrich uranium within its borders that it will always maintain" – the key factor of the stalemate in the prior discussions.
Earlier Talks Unexpectedly Terminated
The earlier sessions of talks between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, struck Iran's enrichment centers in a fortnight-long engagement that ended with the American leader claiming the facilities had been destroyed. Following this, Western states used their authority to reinstate UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a significant effect.
Magic Solution Offered
Iranian officials claimed they felt they had reached a "perfect agreement" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, when it was settled an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could refine atomic fuel. The two nations would have been able to declare success since home-based processing would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely non-military.
It had not been settled in the discussions that American atomic experts could operate on Iranian soil, but that was a logical implication of the consortium proposal. Officials claimed three times they had secured an understanding with Trump's special envoy the US official only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "detractors in America".
Existing Position
Iran's diplomats said the partnership proposal was now withdrawn, but it seems quite possible the offer could be resurrected in some form if discussions reopen.
The American leader in recent days claimed he had been obtaining communications that Iran sought to restart talks, but privately Iranian officials state they are not yet receiving consistent overtures from Washington either directly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of non-responsiveness in the face of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Tehran asserts diplomacy is not part of a performance.
Negotiating Stance
In his address to the gathering, intended to portray the US as a controlling nation that misuses the notion of international law, the foreign minister stated the 12-day war revealed the dispute could not be resolved by armed force. He asserted the strikes started with a Washington's ultimatum for an unconditional Iranian surrender and ended with an absolute demand for a ceasefire.
Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were executed with full US knowledge and cooperation, making trust hard to rebuild.
Negotiations Continues the Primary Answer
Araghchi declared: "Tehran was not the one that had fled diplomacy; it was the United States and the Western nations that had repeatedly sought to impose their will during the talks. Dialogue can still be viable and stays the ultimate resolution to resolve disputes, but its standards, regulations and tenets must be adhered to."
"In case they talk to the Iranian people with the tone of dignity and respect, they will receive a answer in the equivalent tone."
Repair and Recovery
In what is characterized by Iranian officials as the struggle of restoration and recovery, the foreign minister stated he was assured Iran's security strengths "have significantly improved than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been rebuilt. We learned many lessons from this war; we have discovered our internal vulnerabilities and the weaknesses of the enemy."
He added: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our nuclear technology, which they planned to obliterate, stays intact. The sites and gear, if eliminated, will be restored; what is crucial is the will of the citizens of Tehran and then the social solidarity that they sought to undermine, but were unable to destroy. The nation of Iran have become stronger, more united, and more supportive of the government and the country in the wake of this assault."