Tehran Says It Could Resume US Nuclear Talks provided that Approached with 'Respect' and 'Honor'
Tehran is willing to reinitiate atomic discussions with Washington on condition that it is approached with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has declared.
The Iranian diplomat stated solely negotiations produced results, and shared new appeals had been made by intermediaries to resume discussions with the American leadership. He said Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran had not yet reached a point to authorize the global atomic watchdog to visit attacked atomic facilities for security reasons.
Walking a Complex Path
The foreign minister is treading a difficult route since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be proceeding from a situation of disadvantage, and he consistently maintained that Iran had come out more powerful defensively and emotionally from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.
He was addressing at a defense forum in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material on home soil that it will perpetually retain" – the primary cause of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.
Previous Discussions Unexpectedly Ended
The previous five rounds of talks between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, struck Tehran's atomic facilities in a two-week conflict that ended with the American leader claiming the facilities had been obliterated. Following this, European countries exercised their right to reinstate UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.
Ideal Resolution Offered
Tehran representatives said they felt they had attained a "perfect agreement" to the enrichment issue in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an local partnership with American involvement could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to assert triumph since domestic enrichment would have persisted and the US could be confident that Iran's atomic project was exclusively peaceful.
It had not been settled in the negotiations that Washington's technical specialists could function within Iranian territory, but that was a natural consequence of the consortium proposal. Representatives asserted three times they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the arrangement to fall apart due to "spoilers in Washington".
Present Status
Iran's diplomats declared the consortium offer was now withdrawn, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be revived in certain ways if negotiations restart.
Trump in recent days said he had been obtaining communications that Iran wanted to restart talks, but confidentially Iran's diplomats say they are not yet obtaining clear proposals from the United States either directly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of inactivity in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Tehran asserts negotiations is not part of a performance.
Negotiating Stance
In his address to the forum, aimed to paint the US as a hegemonic power that misuses the concept of international law, the foreign minister stated the fortnight-long engagement demonstrated the conflict could not be resolved by military means. He asserted the assaults began with a US demand for an total Iran submission and ended with an absolute demand for a truce.
Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were mounted with full US knowledge and cooperation, making trust hard to restore.
Diplomacy Remains the Ultimate Solution
Araghchi declared: "It was not Iran that had deserted diplomacy; it was America and the western countries that had repeatedly attempted to dictate their desires during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be active and continues the primary resolution to settle disagreements, but its requirements, regulations and tenets must be respected."
"In case they address to the nation of Iran with the tone of respect and respect, they will get a response in the same language."
Repair and Recovery
In what is characterized by Tehran representatives as the battle of restoration and reconstruction, Araghchi stated he was assured Iran's military capacities "are considerably enhanced than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We learned multiple understandings from this war; we have come to know our personal limitations and the vulnerabilities of the opponent."
He added: "We managed to survive this conflict. Our atomic expertise, which they aimed to destroy, remains in place. The facilities and machinery, if destroyed, will be rebuilt; what is crucial is the resolve of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but were unable to shatter. The citizens of Tehran have grown more resilient, more united, and more endorsing of the government and the country in the face of this attack."