🔗 Share this article

Tehran is prepared to restart atomic talks with the United States as long as it is handled with "respect" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has announced.

The Iranian diplomat declared only diplomacy was effective, and disclosed new appeals had originated from go-betweens to restart discussions with the Trump administration. He claimed Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran could not yet allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to access bombed nuclear sites for security reasons.

Walking a Difficult Course

Araghchi is walking a challenging course since Iran aims to avoid be seen to be proceeding from a position of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had emerged more resilient defensively and psychologically from the Israeli-US attack on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to refine atomic fuel on home soil that it will perpetually retain" – the main reason of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.

Earlier Negotiations Unexpectedly Ended

The earlier sessions of negotiations between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and bitter termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, attacked Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that culminated with the US president declaring the sites had been obliterated. Following this, European countries exercised their authority to reinstate global restrictions, but Iran asserts they have not had a major impact.

Ideal Resolution Proposed

Iran's diplomats claimed they felt they had attained a "ideal resolution" to the uranium processing matter in earlier negotiations, when it was decided an local partnership with Washington's engagement could process nuclear material. The two nations would have been able to assert triumph since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be confident that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely non-military.

It had not been decided in the talks that Washington's technical specialists could work within Iranian territory, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Diplomats asserted on multiple occasions they had secured an understanding with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to collapse due to "spoilers in Washington".

Present Status

Iran's diplomats said the cooperative arrangement was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the suggestion could be resurrected in various formats if discussions reopen.

Trump last week claimed he had been obtaining communications that Iran sought to resume discussions, but confidentially Tehran representatives state they are not yet getting consistent overtures from Washington either straightforwardly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been criticized of non-responsiveness in the wake of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran asserts diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.

Diplomatic Stance

In his address to the forum, designed to paint the US as a controlling nation that misuses the idea of international law, the foreign minister said the 12-day war revealed the conflict could not be settled by military means. He stated the strikes started with a US demand for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an absolute demand for a truce.

Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were executed with total Washington understanding and coordination, making trust difficult to reestablish.

Diplomacy Continues the Ultimate Resolution

Araghchi said: "It was not Iran that had deserted negotiations; it was America and the Western nations that had repeatedly attempted to dictate their desires during the negotiations. Negotiations can still be active and continues the final resolution to address conflicts, but its requirements, rules and fundamentals must be followed."

"Provided that they address to the Iranian people with the language of dignity and honor, they will receive a answer in the identical tone."

Restoration and Reconstruction

In what is described by Tehran representatives as the battle of recovery and rebuilding, the foreign minister stated he was certain Iran's security strengths "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been restored. We gained many lessons from this war; we have identified our personal limitations and the weaknesses of the opponent."

He continued: "We managed to survive this conflict. Our atomic expertise, which they aimed to eliminate, stays intact. The facilities and equipment, if eliminated, will be reconstructed; what is crucial is the resolve of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but were unable to shatter. The Iranian people have become more powerful, more cohesive, and more backing of the administration and the state in the face of this attack."