🔗 Share this article

Tehran is ready to reinitiate nuclear discussions with the United States on condition that it is handled with "dignity" and "honor", Tehran's top diplomat has declared.

Abbas Araghchi stated only diplomacy produced results, and shared fresh requests had been made by mediators to restart discussions with the Trump administration. He said Iran did not have undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran could not yet authorize the International Atomic Energy Agency to access attacked atomic facilities for protective measures.

Navigating a Challenging Route

The foreign minister is treading a difficult path since Iran wishes not to be seen to be operating from a situation of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had come out more resilient defensively and emotionally from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.

He was addressing at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to process nuclear material on home soil that it will always maintain" – the primary cause of the stalemate in the previous talks.

Earlier Discussions Abruptly Concluded

The previous five rounds of negotiations between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and hostile end on 12 June when Israel, with US support, struck Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that concluded with the US president claiming the sites had been destroyed. Following this, Western states employed their authority to reinstate UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a significant effect.

Perfect Agreement Proposed

Iranian officials stated they felt they had achieved a "perfect agreement" to the enrichment issue in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an domestic cooperative with Washington's engagement could process nuclear material. The two nations would have been able to assert triumph since domestic enrichment would have remained and the US could be confident that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely non-military.

It had not been agreed in the negotiations that American atomic experts could work within Iranian territory, but that was a reasonable assumption of the partnership suggestion. Representatives claimed three times they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the deal to collapse due to "opponents in the US".

Current Status

Tehran representatives said the cooperative arrangement was now withdrawn, but it seems very probable the offer could be reintroduced in some form if negotiations resume.

Trump recently said he had been receiving messages that Iran wanted to resume discussions, but in private Iranian officials state they are not yet receiving coherent offers from Washington either explicitly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been accused of non-responsiveness in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran says diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.

Diplomatic Standpoint

In his remarks to the forum, designed to paint the US as a dominant force that exploits the concept of international law, the foreign minister stated the 12-day war demonstrated the dispute could not be settled by armed force. He said the assaults commenced with a US demand for an unconditional Iranian surrender and culminated with an absolute demand for a ceasefire.

Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were carried out with total Washington understanding and cooperation, making confidence hard to rebuild.

Diplomacy Stays the Final Solution

Araghchi declared: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned diplomacy; it was America and the European states that had consistently tried to dictate their desires during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be viable and stays the final answer to resolve disagreements, but its standards, guidelines and principles must be followed."

"Provided that they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the language of dignity and respect, they will get a answer in the equivalent tone."

Recovery and Reconstruction

In what is characterized by Tehran representatives as the battle of restoration and recovery, the foreign minister claimed he was certain Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been reestablished. We acquired multiple understandings from this conflict; we have come to know our personal limitations and the weaknesses of the opponent."

He stated: "We effectively endured this conflict. Our nuclear technology, which they aimed to eliminate, stays intact. The facilities and machinery, if damaged, will be reconstructed; what is crucial is the will of the citizens of Tehran and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but were unable to shatter. The Iranian people have grown more resilient, more cohesive, and more backing of the government and the nation in the face of this assault."