Tehran Says It May Rejoin American Nuclear Discussions if Handled with 'Respect' and 'Honor'
Tehran is ready to restart nuclear discussions with Washington provided that it is treated with "respect" and "honor", Tehran's top diplomat has stated.
Abbas Araghchi said solely negotiations worked, and revealed recent overtures had originated from mediators to restart talks with the Trump administration. He said Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran was not yet able to authorize the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect attacked atomic facilities for protective measures.
Navigating a Challenging Course
The foreign minister is navigating a challenging path since Iran aims to avoid appear to be proceeding from a position of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had arisen more powerful in military terms and mentally from the joint assault on its nuclear sites in June.
He was addressing at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the main reason of the stalemate in the previous talks.
Earlier Discussions Abruptly Concluded
The prior phases of discussions between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and bitter termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, attacked Tehran's atomic facilities in a two-week conflict that ended with the American leader declaring the facilities had been eliminated. Following this, EU nations used their right to restore UN-wide sanctions, but Iran asserts they have not had a substantial consequence.
Perfect Agreement Suggested
Iranian officials stated they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an domestic cooperative with American involvement could process nuclear material. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since home-based processing would have remained and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was exclusively peaceful.
It had not been settled in the talks that Washington's technical specialists could function on Iranian soil, but that was a reasonable assumption of the cooperative offer. Officials stated repeatedly they had achieved a deal with the US representative the US official only for the deal to fall apart due to "detractors in America".
Current Status
Iranian officials said the partnership proposal was now no longer available, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be revived in various formats if discussions reopen.
The US president in recent days said he had been receiving messages that Iran wanted to restart talks, but privately Iran's diplomats say they are not yet obtaining consistent overtures from America either straightforwardly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of passivity in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran asserts negotiations is not part of a show.
Negotiating Stance
In his speech to the gathering, designed to portray the US as a dominant force that misuses the idea of global regulations, the foreign minister stated the fortnight-long engagement revealed the conflict could not be settled by armed force. He stated the attacks began with a US demand for an total Iran submission and culminated with an unconditional call for a ceasefire.
Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were executed with full US knowledge and coordination, making faith difficult to restore.
Diplomacy Remains the Primary Answer
Araghchi said: "It was not Iran that had deserted diplomacy; it was the United States and the European states that had repeatedly attempted to enforce their demands during the talks. Diplomacy can still be viable and continues the ultimate resolution to settle disputes, but its standards, regulations and tenets must be respected."
"Provided that they speak to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of respect and honor, they will get a response in the identical tone."
Restoration and Reconstruction
In what is portrayed by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of repair and recovery, Araghchi claimed he was certain Iran's security strengths "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been restored. We gained multiple understandings from this engagement; we have come to know our internal vulnerabilities and the weaknesses of the adversary."
He continued: "We successfully passed this conflict. Our enrichment knowledge, which they aimed to eliminate, stays intact. The installations and gear, if eliminated, will be restored; what is important is the determination of the nation of Iran and then the national cohesion that they aimed at, but did not succeed to break. The Iranian people have become stronger, more integrated, and more supportive of the government and the nation in the face of this invasion."