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Tehran is willing to reinitiate atomic talks with Washington provided that it is treated with "respect" and "respect", Tehran's foreign minister has declared.

The Iranian diplomat declared only diplomacy worked, and disclosed recent overtures had been made by intermediaries to restart negotiations with the US government. He claimed Iran possessed no undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran could not yet allow the UN nuclear inspectorate to inspect struck enrichment centers for protective measures.

Navigating a Challenging Route

Araghchi is navigating a difficult course since Iran aims to avoid be seen to be acting from a position of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged more resilient in military terms and emotionally from the Israeli-US attack on its nuclear sites in June.

He was speaking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an inalienable right to refine atomic fuel on home soil that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Previous Talks Abruptly Ended

The previous five rounds of discussions between the United States and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, targeted Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that ended with Donald Trump asserting the locations had been destroyed. Subsequently, European countries exercised their right to reimpose UN-wide sanctions, but Iran asserts they have not had a major impact.

Perfect Agreement Proposed

Iran's diplomats stated they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in prior discussions, when it was decided an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could process nuclear material. Each party would have been able to declare success since home-based processing would have persisted and the US could be certain that Iran's enrichment initiative was exclusively peaceful.

It had not been agreed in the talks that US nuclear scientists could work within Iranian territory, but that was a reasonable assumption of the cooperative offer. Representatives stated repeatedly they had secured an understanding with the US representative the American negotiator only for the deal to disintegrate due to "detractors in America".

Present Situation

Iran's diplomats declared the cooperative arrangement was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the proposal could be resurrected in some form if discussions restart.

The US president last week claimed he had been obtaining communications that Iran wanted to resume discussions, but privately Iranian officials state they are not yet obtaining coherent offers from Washington either explicitly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of passivity in the wake of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran says dialogue is not part of a performance.

Political Standpoint

In his speech to the forum, intended to paint the US as a dominant force that abuses the notion of worldwide standards, Araghchi declared the 12-day war showed the conflict could not be ended by military means. He asserted the assaults began with a US demand for an total Iran submission and concluded with an absolute demand for a halt to hostilities.

Iran is certain the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were executed with full US knowledge and cooperation, making trust difficult to restore.

Diplomacy Stays the Ultimate Answer

Araghchi declared: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned dialogue; it was the United States and the western countries that had consistently sought to dictate their desires during the discussions. Diplomacy can still be alive and remains the final solution to address disputes, but its criteria, guidelines and principles must be respected."

"Provided that they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the language of dignity and honor, they will obtain a response in the equivalent approach."

Repair and Rebuilding

In what is described by Tehran representatives as the conflict of repair and rebuilding, the foreign minister said he was confident Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been rebuilt. We learned numerous insights from this war; we have come to know our personal limitations and the weaknesses of the adversary."

He stated: "We effectively endured this engagement. Our atomic expertise, which they planned to obliterate, continues to exist. The facilities and gear, if eliminated, will be restored; what is crucial is the will of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but failed to destroy. The nation of Iran have become stronger, more integrated, and more supportive of the government and the country in the wake of this attack."