Tehran Says It May Resume American Nuclear Discussions provided that Approached with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Tehran is willing to resume nuclear talks with the United States on condition that it is approached with "dignity" and "respect", Tehran's foreign minister has announced.
The Iranian diplomat said exclusively dialogue was effective, and disclosed new appeals had been made by go-betweens to resume negotiations with the American leadership. He said Iran had zero unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran could not yet authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to inspect bombed nuclear sites for protective measures.
Navigating a Difficult Course
The foreign minister is walking a challenging path since Iran aims to avoid appear to be operating from a stance of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had arisen more powerful defensively and emotionally from the Israeli-US attack on its atomic facilities in June.
He was addressing at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to process nuclear material domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the main reason of the deadlock in the previous talks.
Previous Discussions Suddenly Ended
The prior phases of discussions between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and hostile conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with Washington's assistance, attacked Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that ended with the American leader asserting the locations had been obliterated. Following this, EU nations exercised their right to reinstate international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.
Ideal Resolution Suggested
Iranian officials said they felt they had achieved a "ideal resolution" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, when it was agreed an local partnership with US participation could refine atomic fuel. Both sides would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have remained and the US could be certain that Iran's atomic project was entirely non-military.
It had not been settled in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could function on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Representatives asserted three times they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the agreement to collapse due to "opponents in the US".
Existing Status
Iranian officials said the partnership proposal was now no longer available, but it seems highly likely the suggestion could be reintroduced in some form if talks resume.
The American leader last week said he had been receiving messages that Iran sought to resume discussions, but privately Tehran representatives claim they are not yet receiving clear proposals from Washington either straightforwardly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been accused of inactivity in the aftermath of the US president's straightforward manner, but Iran asserts dialogue is not part of a spectacle.
Political Stance
In his remarks to the conference, aimed to depict the US as a dominant force that abuses the notion of worldwide standards, Araghchi said the 12-day war showed the conflict could not be resolved by armed force. He said the strikes began with a US demand for an complete Tehran capitulation and concluded with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were executed with full US knowledge and coordination, making confidence hard to reestablish.
Dialogue Stays the Final Solution
Araghchi declared: "Tehran was not the one that had deserted negotiations; it was the United States and the Western nations that had consistently attempted to enforce their will during the discussions. Diplomacy can still be active and remains the final solution to resolve conflicts, but its requirements, regulations and tenets must be adhered to."
"If they speak to the Iranian people with the approach of respect and honor, they will obtain a answer in the equivalent tone."
Restoration and Recovery
In what is characterized by Tehran representatives as the struggle of restoration and rebuilding, the foreign minister said he was certain Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been reestablished. We learned numerous insights from this war; we have identified our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the adversary."
He added: "We managed to survive this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they planned to obliterate, continues to exist. The facilities and gear, if eliminated, will be restored; what is important is the will of the Iranian people and then the social solidarity that they sought to undermine, but failed to shatter. The citizens of Tehran have become stronger, more cohesive, and more endorsing of the leadership and the nation in the wake of this attack."