Tehran Says It Could Return to US Nuclear Talks provided that Approached with 'Respect' and 'Respect'
Iran is ready to resume nuclear talks with the United States on condition that it is approached with "respect" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has stated.
The Iranian diplomat said only diplomacy worked, and shared fresh requests had originated from intermediaries to resume talks with the American leadership. He asserted Iran possessed no secret atomic facilities, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit struck enrichment centers for safety concerns.
Navigating a Complex Course
The foreign minister is treading a challenging course since Iran does not want appear to be proceeding from a stance of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged stronger militarily and psychologically from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.
He was speaking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will never give up" – the key factor of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.
Earlier Talks Unexpectedly Ended
The prior phases of talks between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, targeted Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that ended with Donald Trump declaring the facilities had been obliterated. Subsequently, Western states used their right to reimpose global restrictions, but Iran maintains they have not had a major impact.
Ideal Resolution Proposed
Iranian officials said they felt they had reached a "perfect agreement" to the uranium processing matter in prior discussions, when it was decided an local partnership with US participation could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since home-based processing would have persisted and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was solely for peaceful purposes.
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 cooperative offer. Officials asserted repeatedly they had secured an understanding with Trump's special envoy the US official only for the deal to disintegrate due to "spoilers in Washington".
Present Status
Tehran representatives declared the partnership proposal was now off the table, but it seems very probable the proposal could be revived in certain ways if talks reopen.
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 obtaining clear proposals from Washington either explicitly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been accused of non-responsiveness in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran asserts diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.
Diplomatic Position
In his remarks to the conference, designed to paint the US as a dominant force that exploits the idea of international law, Araghchi said the fortnight-long engagement revealed the conflict could not be resolved by combat operations. He stated the strikes began with a US demand for an unconditional Iranian surrender and culminated with an absolute demand for a ceasefire.
Iran is convinced the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were executed with full US knowledge and coordination, making trust difficult to restore.
Negotiations Continues the Ultimate Solution
Araghchi declared: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned dialogue; it was America and the European states that had consistently attempted to impose their will during the discussions. Dialogue can still be alive and continues the final resolution to address disputes, but its criteria, rules and tenets must be adhered to."
"In case they talk to the Iranian people with the language of dignity and respect, they will obtain a response in the equivalent language."
Repair and Recovery
In what is described by Iranian officials as the conflict of recovery and recovery, the foreign minister stated he was certain Iran's defence capabilities "are much stronger than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been reestablished. We gained multiple understandings from this engagement; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the weaknesses of the opponent."
He continued: "We effectively endured this conflict. Our enrichment knowledge, which they aimed to eliminate, stays intact. The installations and equipment, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is essential is the resolve of the citizens of Tehran and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but failed to break. The nation of Iran have developed more powerful, more integrated, and more backing of the government and the state in the aftermath of this invasion."