Iran Declares It May Return to American Atomic Negotiations provided that Treated with 'Respect' and 'Respect'
Iran is ready to restart atomic talks with Washington as long as it is treated with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has stated.
The Iranian diplomat said exclusively dialogue worked, and disclosed fresh requests had come from go-betweens to reopen discussions with the Trump administration. He asserted Iran did not have undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran could not yet allow the global atomic watchdog to access attacked atomic facilities for safety concerns.
Walking a Difficult Route
Araghchi is walking a difficult route since Iran does not want appear to be operating from a situation of disadvantage, and he emphatically stated that Iran had emerged more powerful militarily and psychologically from the Israeli-US attack on its nuclear sites in June.
He was addressing at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will always maintain" – the main reason of the impasse in the earlier negotiations.
Previous Discussions Unexpectedly Concluded
The prior phases of talks between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious termination on 12 June when Israel, with US support, struck Iranian nuclear sites in a 12-day war that ended with the American leader asserting the sites had been destroyed. Following this, Western states employed their authority to reimpose international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a significant effect.
Magic Solution Suggested
Iranian officials claimed they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the nuclear fuel concern in earlier negotiations, when it was settled an Iran-based consortium with US participation could refine atomic fuel. Each party would have been able to assert triumph since home-based processing would have remained and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was entirely non-military.
It had not been agreed in the negotiations that US nuclear scientists could function on Iranian soil, but that was a logical implication of the cooperative offer. Officials stated on multiple occasions they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to collapse due to "spoilers in Washington".
Present Position
Tehran representatives declared the cooperative arrangement was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the suggestion could be reintroduced in various formats if talks reopen.
Trump in recent days claimed he had been obtaining communications that Iran sought to restart talks, but in private Iranian officials say they are not yet receiving coherent offers from the United States either straightforwardly or from key regional mediators, such as Qatar, Egypt, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Iran's state department has been charged of inactivity in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran asserts dialogue is not part of a performance.
Diplomatic Standpoint
In his address to the conference, designed to portray the US as a hegemonic power that abuses the concept of international law, the foreign minister said the 12-day war showed the clash could not be ended by military means. He said the attacks commenced with a American requirement for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an absolute demand for a truce.
Iran is convinced the initial Israeli attacks were executed with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making confidence hard to rebuild.
Negotiations Remains the Final Answer
Araghchi stated: "It was not Iran that had fled diplomacy; it was the United States and the western countries that had consistently tried to enforce their desires during the negotiations. Negotiations can still be alive and stays the primary solution to address disagreements, but its criteria, guidelines and principles must be respected."
"Provided that they speak to the Iranian people with the approach of dignity and honor, they will get a answer in the same tone."
Restoration and Rebuilding
In what is portrayed by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of repair and reconstruction, the foreign minister stated he was certain Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been restored. We gained multiple understandings from this engagement; we have discovered our internal vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of the adversary."
He added: "We effectively endured this engagement. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to eliminate, stays intact. The facilities and gear, if eliminated, will be restored; what is crucial is the determination of the citizens of Tehran and then the national cohesion that they sought to undermine, but were unable to destroy. The Iranian people have become stronger, more united, and more supportive of the administration and the nation in the aftermath of this attack."