Tehran States It Might Rejoin US Atomic Discussions if Handled with 'Respect' and 'Respect'
Tehran is prepared to resume nuclear negotiations with Washington on condition that it is approached with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has announced.
The Iranian diplomat stated exclusively dialogue worked, and shared fresh requests had been made by go-betweens to restart discussions with the US government. He said Iran possessed no unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to authorize the global atomic watchdog to access attacked atomic facilities for safety concerns.
Navigating a Difficult Path
The foreign minister is navigating a complex route since Iran wishes not to appear to be acting from a stance of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had come out more powerful militarily and psychologically from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.
He was addressing at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material within its borders that it will perpetually retain" – the key factor of the stalemate in the previous talks.
Prior Discussions Abruptly Ended
The previous five rounds of talks between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and acrimonious end on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, attacked Iran's enrichment centers in a two-week conflict that concluded with the US president asserting the sites had been obliterated. Following this, European countries exercised their right to reinstate international penalties, but Iran asserts they have not had a major impact.
Magic Solution Proposed
Iran's diplomats claimed they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with Washington's engagement could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to assert triumph since domestic enrichment would have remained and the US could be assured that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.
It had not been agreed in the talks that American atomic experts could work within Iranian territory, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Representatives claimed three times they had reached agreement with the US representative the US official only for the deal to collapse due to "opponents in the US".
Current Position
Tehran representatives said the cooperative arrangement was now withdrawn, but it seems very probable the proposal could be reintroduced in certain ways if negotiations reopen.
The US president recently said he had been obtaining communications that Iran wanted to reopen negotiations, but in private Tehran representatives claim they are not yet receiving consistent overtures from Washington either directly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of non-responsiveness in the face of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran states diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.
Negotiating Position
In his remarks to the conference, aimed to paint the US as a controlling nation that misuses the notion of global regulations, the foreign minister stated the fortnight-long engagement showed the conflict could not be ended by armed force. He stated the strikes commenced with a US demand for an unconditional Iranian surrender and culminated with an unconditional call for a truce.
Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were carried out with full US knowledge and collaboration, making trust hard to restore.
Diplomacy Remains the Primary Solution
Araghchi said: "It was not Iran that had abandoned dialogue; it was America and the Western nations that had repeatedly sought to enforce their desires during the discussions. Diplomacy can still be viable and stays the primary solution to resolve disagreements, but its criteria, regulations and principles must be followed."
"Provided that they talk to the Iranian people with the tone of respect and respect, they will get a response in the equivalent language."
Repair and Rebuilding
In what is described by Tehran representatives as the battle of repair and reconstruction, Araghchi said he was certain Iran's military capacities "are considerably enhanced than before 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been rebuilt. We acquired numerous insights from this conflict; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the shortcomings of the opponent."
He added: "We successfully passed this war. Our atomic expertise, which they aimed to obliterate, continues to exist. The installations and equipment, if eliminated, will be rebuilt; what is crucial is the resolve of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they targeted, but did not succeed to shatter. The Iranian people have grown stronger, more integrated, and more endorsing of the leadership and the nation in the aftermath of this invasion."