Tehran Declares It Could Rejoin American Nuclear Negotiations if Handled with 'Respect' and 'Honor'
Tehran is prepared to reinitiate atomic talks with Washington as long as it is treated with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has announced.
The Iranian diplomat stated only diplomacy worked, and disclosed fresh requests had come from go-betweens to reopen discussions with the US government. He said Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran could not yet allow the UN nuclear inspectorate to inspect bombed nuclear sites for safety concerns.
Walking a Challenging Course
The foreign minister is navigating a difficult path since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be proceeding from a stance of weakness, and he consistently maintained that Iran had emerged more resilient defensively and psychologically from the Israeli-US attack on its enrichment centers in June.
He was addressing at a defense forum in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an absolute privilege to process nuclear material on home soil that it will never give up" β the main reason of the impasse in the prior discussions.
Earlier Negotiations Suddenly Terminated
The prior phases of talks between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, attacked Iran's enrichment centers in a two-week conflict that culminated with Donald Trump asserting the sites had been destroyed. Afterward, Western states employed their privilege to reinstate international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a significant effect.
Magic Solution Suggested
Iranian officials said they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the nuclear fuel concern in previous talks, when it was decided an local partnership with US participation could process nuclear material. Both sides would have been able to assert triumph since local refinement would have persisted and the US could be certain that Iran's nuclear programme was exclusively peaceful.
It had not been decided in the negotiations that American atomic experts could work inside Iran, but that was a natural consequence of the cooperative offer. Officials stated on multiple occasions they had achieved a deal with Trump's special envoy the US official only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "opponents in the US".
Current Status
Iranian officials said the consortium offer was now no longer available, but it seems highly likely the proposal could be resurrected in certain ways if negotiations resume.
Trump in recent days said he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to reopen negotiations, but privately Tehran representatives claim they are not yet receiving clear proposals from the United States either directly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of inactivity in the aftermath of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran asserts negotiations is not part of a performance.
Negotiating Stance
In his remarks to the forum, designed to depict the US as a dominant force that exploits the notion of global regulations, Araghchi said the two-week conflict demonstrated the clash could not be settled by combat operations. He asserted the attacks started with a American requirement for an complete Tehran capitulation and ended with an complete request for a truce.
Iran is certain the initial Israeli attacks were executed with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making confidence hard to rebuild.
Diplomacy Continues the Primary Solution
Araghchi said: "Tehran was not the one that had deserted negotiations; it was America and the European states that had repeatedly attempted to impose their desires during the talks. Diplomacy can still be active and stays the ultimate resolution to address disputes, but its criteria, rules and fundamentals must be followed."
"If they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of dignity and respect, they will receive a answer in the equivalent approach."
Recovery and Reconstruction
In what is characterized by Iranian officials as the battle of repair and reconstruction, the foreign minister claimed he was certain Iran's security strengths "are considerably enhanced than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been restored. We learned multiple understandings from this engagement; we have come to know our internal vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of the opponent."
He continued: "We effectively endured this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to destroy, continues to exist. The installations and machinery, if destroyed, will be reconstructed; what is important is the will of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to shatter. The nation of Iran have grown more powerful, more integrated, and more supportive of the administration and the nation in the face of this assault."