🔗 Share this article

Tehran is prepared to reinitiate atomic discussions with the United States as long as it is approached with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has announced.

Abbas Araghchi said exclusively dialogue produced results, and revealed new appeals had been made by go-betweens to resume discussions with the Trump administration. He claimed Iran had zero secret atomic facilities, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to permit the global atomic watchdog to inspect attacked atomic facilities for security reasons.

Navigating a Difficult Path

The foreign minister is walking a difficult course since Iran does not want be perceived to be acting from a position of vulnerability, and he consistently maintained that Iran had come out stronger defensively and mentally from the Israeli-US attack on its atomic facilities in June.

He was addressing at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the key factor of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.

Previous Talks Unexpectedly Terminated

The prior phases of discussions between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and acrimonious termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with Washington's assistance, struck Iranian nuclear sites in a two-week conflict that culminated with the US president claiming the facilities had been eliminated. Following this, EU nations used their privilege to reinstate international penalties, but Iran asserts they have not had a major impact.

Ideal Resolution Suggested

Tehran representatives said they felt they had reached a "magic solution" to the uranium processing matter in earlier negotiations, when it was decided an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could enrich uranium. Each party would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was entirely non-military.

It had not been settled in the negotiations that Washington's technical specialists could work on Iranian soil, but that was a logical implication of the consortium proposal. Officials asserted three times they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the agreement to fall apart due to "opponents in the US".

Present Situation

Tehran representatives declared the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the offer could be reintroduced in various formats if discussions reopen.

The US president in recent days stated he had been obtaining communications that Iran desired to restart talks, but confidentially Iranian officials say they are not yet receiving coherent offers from Washington either directly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iran's state department has been charged of passivity in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Iran says negotiations is not part of a show.

Negotiating Standpoint

In his address to the conference, intended to depict the US as a controlling nation that misuses the idea of international law, the foreign minister declared the fortnight-long engagement showed the conflict could not be resolved by combat operations. He stated the strikes commenced with a US demand for an total Iran submission and concluded with an complete request for a ceasefire.

Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were mounted with total Washington understanding and coordination, making faith hard to restore.

Diplomacy Remains the Final Resolution

Araghchi declared: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned dialogue; it was America and the European states that had repeatedly attempted to dictate their demands during the talks. Dialogue can still be alive and continues the ultimate solution to resolve disagreements, but its requirements, guidelines and fundamentals must be respected."

"If they speak to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of dignity and honor, they will obtain a response in the identical language."

Repair and Reconstruction

In what is portrayed by Iranian officials as the conflict of repair and recovery, the foreign minister said he was assured Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been restored. We learned many lessons from this war; we have come to know our internal vulnerabilities and the shortcomings of the adversary."

He stated: "We managed to survive this conflict. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to obliterate, stays intact. The installations and equipment, if destroyed, will be reconstructed; what is important is the determination of the Iranian people and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but failed to destroy. The Iranian people have developed more powerful, more cohesive, and more backing of the administration and the nation in the aftermath of this attack."