Iran Declares It Could Rejoin US Atomic Negotiations provided that Handled with 'Respect' and 'Honor'
Iran is ready to resume atomic talks with Washington on condition that it is treated with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has announced.
Abbas Araghchi said solely negotiations was effective, and disclosed recent overtures had been made by intermediaries to restart discussions with the American leadership. He asserted Iran possessed no unreported enrichment locations, and Iran had not yet reached a point to permit the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit struck enrichment centers for safety concerns.
Navigating a Challenging Path
Araghchi is walking a challenging course since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be operating from a position of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged more powerful in military terms and emotionally from the joint assault on its enrichment centers in June.
He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to enrich uranium on home soil that it will never give up" – the main reason of the deadlock in the prior discussions.
Previous Discussions Unexpectedly Concluded
The prior phases of discussions between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and bitter termination on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, targeted Iranian nuclear sites in a 12-day war that concluded with the American leader claiming the locations had been obliterated. Afterward, Western states used their right to restore UN-wide sanctions, but Iran maintains they have not had a substantial consequence.
Perfect Agreement Suggested
Tehran representatives stated they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the uranium processing matter in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could refine atomic fuel. Each party would have been able to assert triumph since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely non-military.
It had not been settled in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could work inside Iran, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Representatives claimed on multiple occasions they had achieved a deal with the US representative Steve Witkoff only for the deal to disintegrate due to "spoilers in Washington".
Existing Situation
Iran's diplomats said the cooperative arrangement was now off the table, but it seems very probable the offer could be resurrected in certain ways if negotiations resume.
The American leader last week said he had been getting signals that Iran desired to reopen negotiations, but confidentially Iran's diplomats state they are not yet getting consistent overtures from America either explicitly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, Egypt, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Iran's state department has been criticized of passivity in the aftermath of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran states dialogue is not part of a show.
Negotiating Position
In his remarks to the conference, designed to depict the US as a dominant force that exploits the concept of international law, the foreign minister stated the fortnight-long engagement revealed the conflict could not be resolved by combat operations. He stated the attacks started with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and culminated with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were carried out with full US knowledge and coordination, making faith hard to reestablish.
Diplomacy Remains the Final Solution
The foreign minister declared: "It was not Iran that had abandoned dialogue; it was the United States and the Western nations that had consistently tried to enforce their desires during the talks. Dialogue can still be active and continues the ultimate answer to address disagreements, but its requirements, guidelines and tenets must be followed."
"If they speak to the Iranian people with the approach of respect and respect, they will obtain a response in the identical language."
Repair and Rebuilding
In what is portrayed by Iranian officials as the struggle of repair and reconstruction, Araghchi stated he was certain Iran's military capacities "have significantly improved than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been reestablished. We learned many lessons from this conflict; we have identified our personal limitations and the weaknesses of the enemy."
He continued: "We successfully passed this conflict. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to destroy, remains in place. The sites and machinery, if destroyed, will be rebuilt; what is important is the will of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to shatter. The nation of Iran have developed more resilient, more united, and more supportive of the government and the state in the face of this invasion."