🔗 Share this article

Iran is prepared to restart nuclear discussions with Washington provided that it is treated with "dignity" and "honor", Tehran's foreign minister has declared.

Abbas Araghchi stated exclusively dialogue was effective, and shared recent overtures had come from intermediaries to restart talks with the Trump administration. He claimed Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Iran could not yet allow the global atomic watchdog to visit attacked atomic facilities for protective measures.

Navigating a Complex Path

The foreign minister is treading a difficult course since Iran aims to avoid appear to be acting from a situation of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had arisen more resilient in military terms and mentally from the Israeli-US attack on its enrichment centers in June.

He was speaking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to process nuclear material domestically that it will always maintain" – the primary cause of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Previous Discussions Unexpectedly Concluded

The earlier sessions of talks between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious termination on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, attacked Iran's enrichment centers in a fortnight-long engagement that culminated with Donald Trump claiming the facilities had been obliterated. Following this, European countries employed their privilege to restore global restrictions, but Iran asserts they have not had a substantial consequence.

Ideal Resolution Offered

Iran's diplomats said they felt they had achieved a "magic solution" to the nuclear fuel concern in previous talks, when it was decided an domestic cooperative with American involvement could process nuclear material. Each party would have been able to declare success since local refinement would have continued and the US could be certain that Iran's nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been agreed in the discussions that American atomic experts could function within Iranian territory, but that was a logical implication of the consortium proposal. Officials claimed repeatedly they had achieved a deal with Trump's special envoy the US official only for the deal to collapse due to "spoilers in Washington".

Present Situation

Tehran representatives declared the consortium offer was now withdrawn, but it seems quite possible the offer could be resurrected in various formats if negotiations resume.

Trump recently said he had been getting signals that Iran sought to reopen negotiations, but in private Tehran representatives state they are not yet receiving clear proposals from America either directly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been charged of inactivity in the wake of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran says negotiations is not part of a show.

Political Standpoint

In his address to the gathering, aimed to portray the US as a hegemonic power that abuses the concept of worldwide standards, Araghchi said the 12-day war showed the conflict could not be resolved by armed force. He stated the attacks began with a US demand for an total Iran submission and culminated with an complete request for a halt to hostilities.

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

Dialogue Remains the Final Answer

Araghchi declared: "Tehran was not the one that had deserted negotiations; it was the United States and the Western nations that had consistently attempted to impose their demands during the discussions. Diplomacy can still be viable and stays the final solution to resolve disagreements, but its standards, rules and fundamentals must be adhered to."

"If they address to the nation of Iran with the approach of dignity and respect, they will obtain a response in the identical approach."

Restoration and Recovery

In what is described by Iranian officials as the battle of recovery and rebuilding, the foreign minister said he was confident Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been rebuilt. We learned multiple understandings from this war; we have identified our own weaknesses and the weaknesses of the adversary."

He added: "We successfully passed this engagement. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to obliterate, stays intact. The installations and equipment, if damaged, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the resolve of the Iranian people and then the national cohesion that they aimed at, but did not succeed to break. The Iranian people have developed stronger, more cohesive, and more supportive of the administration and the country in the face of this invasion."