Iran Declares It Might Return to American Atomic Talks if Handled with 'Respect' and 'Honor'

Tehran is prepared to reinitiate atomic negotiations with the United States as long as it is treated with "dignity" and "respect", Tehran's top diplomat has stated.

Abbas Araghchi said solely negotiations worked, and disclosed fresh requests had been made by go-betweens to resume discussions with the Trump administration. He asserted Iran possessed no unreported enrichment locations, and Iran was not yet able to authorize the global atomic watchdog to access attacked atomic facilities for protective measures.

Walking a Complex Course

Araghchi is navigating a complex path since Iran wishes not to appear to be proceeding from a stance of vulnerability, and he emphatically stated that Iran had emerged stronger militarily and mentally from the coordinated strike on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to enrich uranium within its borders that it will always maintain" – the primary cause of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.

Previous Discussions Suddenly Terminated

The earlier sessions of negotiations between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and hostile termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, attacked Tehran's atomic facilities in a two-week conflict that concluded with the American leader asserting the sites had been eliminated. Following this, Western states used their authority to reimpose international penalties, but Iran maintains they have not had a significant effect.

Magic Solution Suggested

Tehran representatives stated they felt they had attained a "perfect agreement" to the nuclear fuel concern in earlier negotiations, when it was settled an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to assert triumph since local refinement would have remained and the US could be assured that Iran's enrichment initiative was entirely non-military.

It had not been settled in the negotiations that US nuclear scientists could work within Iranian territory, but that was a logical implication of the consortium proposal. Diplomats claimed repeatedly they had secured an understanding with Trump's special envoy the US official only for the deal to disintegrate due to "detractors in America".

Present Status

Iranian officials said the cooperative arrangement was now off the table, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be reintroduced in certain ways if talks resume.

The US president recently claimed he had been obtaining communications that Iran desired to restart talks, but privately Tehran representatives say they are not yet receiving consistent overtures from Washington either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been charged of inactivity in the aftermath of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran says diplomacy is not part of a show.

Negotiating Position

In his remarks to the conference, intended to depict the US as a dominant force that exploits the idea of international law, Araghchi stated the two-week conflict demonstrated the conflict could not be resolved by military means. He said the attacks started with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and concluded with an absolute demand for a truce.

Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were executed with full US knowledge and collaboration, making trust difficult to rebuild.

Dialogue Stays the Final Resolution

Araghchi said: "Tehran was not the one that had deserted dialogue; it was the United States and the Western nations that had consistently attempted to dictate their will during the talks. Dialogue can still be active and stays the primary answer to address disagreements, but its requirements, guidelines and principles must be adhered to."

"In case they speak to the nation of Iran with the approach of dignity and respect, they will obtain a answer in the same tone."

Restoration and Rebuilding

In what is characterized by Iran's diplomats as the battle of repair and reconstruction, the foreign minister stated he was certain Iran's security strengths "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been reestablished. We learned multiple understandings from this engagement; we have discovered our internal vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of the enemy."

He stated: "We successfully passed this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to destroy, continues to exist. The facilities and equipment, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is important is the determination of the citizens of Tehran and then the unity of the country that they targeted, but did not succeed to shatter. The citizens of Tehran have developed stronger, more cohesive, and more supportive of the leadership and the nation in the wake of this attack."