Tehran Says It May Return to American Nuclear Talks provided that Treated with 'Respect' and 'Honor'
Tehran is ready to restart atomic talks with the United States on condition that it is treated with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has declared.
The Iranian diplomat said only diplomacy produced results, and shared fresh requests had come from go-betweens to restart talks with the Trump administration. He claimed Iran had zero unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran was not yet able to allow the UN nuclear inspectorate to inspect bombed nuclear sites for security reasons.
Navigating a Difficult Path
Araghchi is navigating a difficult course since Iran aims to avoid be perceived to be proceeding from a stance of vulnerability, and he consistently maintained that Iran had come out stronger in military terms and psychologically from the joint assault on its nuclear sites in June.
He was addressing at a defense forum in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to process nuclear material on home soil that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.
Prior Talks Abruptly Terminated
The previous five rounds of talks between the United States and Iran were brought to an abrupt and acrimonious end on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, struck Iran's enrichment centers in a fortnight-long engagement that concluded with the American leader claiming the sites had been eliminated. Following this, European countries exercised their privilege to restore UN-wide sanctions, but Iran asserts they have not had a major impact.
Perfect Agreement Offered
Iranian officials stated they felt they had attained a "perfect agreement" to the nuclear fuel concern in previous talks, when it was agreed an local partnership with Washington's engagement could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have persisted and the US could be assured that Iran's nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes.
It had not been decided in the negotiations that American atomic experts could function inside Iran, but that was a logical implication of the partnership suggestion. Diplomats stated on multiple occasions they had reached agreement with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "detractors in America".
Existing Position
Tehran representatives declared the partnership proposal was now withdrawn, but it seems very probable the offer could be revived in various formats if talks resume.
Trump last week claimed he had been receiving messages that Iran sought to restart talks, but privately Iran's diplomats claim they are not yet obtaining clear proposals from the United States either explicitly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been accused of passivity in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Iran states negotiations is not part of a spectacle.
Diplomatic Position
In his address to the forum, designed to portray the US as a hegemonic power that abuses the concept of worldwide standards, Araghchi declared the 12-day war showed the conflict could not be resolved by military means. He said the assaults started with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an complete request for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is assured the initial Israeli attacks were mounted with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making confidence difficult to rebuild.
Diplomacy Stays the Final Resolution
The foreign minister stated: "It was not Iran that had deserted negotiations; it was America and the European states that had consistently tried to dictate their desires during the negotiations. Diplomacy can still be viable and stays the primary resolution to address conflicts, but its standards, rules and fundamentals must be respected."
"In case they speak to the citizens of Tehran with the approach of dignity and respect, they will obtain a response in the same language."
Repair and Recovery
In what is portrayed by Tehran representatives as the struggle of recovery and rebuilding, the foreign minister stated he was certain Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been restored. We learned multiple understandings from this engagement; we have identified our personal limitations and the shortcomings of the enemy."
He continued: "We effectively endured this engagement. Our enrichment knowledge, which they aimed to obliterate, continues to exist. The facilities and machinery, if damaged, will be restored; what is crucial is the resolve of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they targeted, but did not succeed to destroy. The citizens of Tehran have grown more powerful, more integrated, and more supportive of the government and the state in the aftermath of this invasion."