Tehran Says It Could Rejoin US Atomic Negotiations provided that Approached with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Tehran is willing to reinitiate atomic negotiations with the United States on condition that it is handled with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has stated.
Abbas Araghchi stated solely negotiations worked, and revealed recent overtures had come from intermediaries to resume talks with the American leadership. He asserted Iran did not have undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran had not yet reached a point to permit the International Atomic Energy Agency to access struck enrichment centers for safety concerns.
Walking a Difficult Course
The foreign minister is treading a difficult route since Iran does not want be perceived to be operating from a position of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had arisen more powerful in military terms and mentally from the coordinated strike on its enrichment centers in June.
He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material domestically that it will always maintain" – the primary cause of the impasse in the earlier negotiations.
Prior Talks Unexpectedly Concluded
The prior phases of negotiations between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and hostile termination on 12 June when Israel, with US support, struck Iran's enrichment centers in a fortnight-long engagement that culminated with the American leader asserting the facilities had been eliminated. Subsequently, Western states employed their right to restore global restrictions, but Iran maintains they have not had a substantial consequence.
Ideal Resolution Suggested
Iranian officials said they felt they had attained a "perfect agreement" to the nuclear fuel concern in prior discussions, when it was settled an domestic cooperative with US participation could process nuclear material. Each party would have been able to assert triumph since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes.
It had not been agreed in the talks that Washington's technical specialists could operate inside Iran, but that was a natural consequence of the consortium proposal. Officials asserted repeatedly they had secured an understanding with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the deal to fall apart due to "spoilers in Washington".
Current Position
Iranian officials declared the cooperative arrangement was now no longer available, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be resurrected in certain ways if negotiations restart.
The American leader last week claimed he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to reopen negotiations, but confidentially Iranian officials claim they are not yet getting clear proposals from the United States either straightforwardly or from key regional mediators, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been charged of non-responsiveness in the wake of the US president's straightforward manner, but Iran asserts diplomacy is not part of a show.
Negotiating Standpoint
In his remarks to the gathering, designed to depict the US as a dominant force that misuses the concept of international law, Araghchi said the 12-day war demonstrated the dispute could not be resolved by combat operations. He said the strikes started with a US demand for an total Iran submission and culminated with an absolute demand for a truce.
Iran is certain the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were executed with full US knowledge and coordination, making faith hard to restore.
Negotiations Continues the Ultimate Resolution
The foreign minister declared: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned dialogue; it was the United States and the Western nations that had always attempted to impose their will during the discussions. Negotiations can still be active and stays the ultimate solution to settle disagreements, but its standards, regulations and tenets must be followed."
"In case they talk to the nation of Iran with the language of dignity and honor, they will obtain a answer in the equivalent language."
Repair and Reconstruction
In what is characterized by Iranian officials as the struggle of restoration and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was confident Iran's security strengths "have significantly improved than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been restored. We learned numerous insights from this conflict; we have identified our own weaknesses and the weaknesses of the opponent."
He added: "We successfully passed this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they planned to eliminate, remains in place. The installations and equipment, if eliminated, will be restored; what is essential is the resolve of the Iranian people and then the national cohesion that they targeted, but were unable to destroy. The Iranian people have become stronger, more united, and more endorsing of the leadership and the state in the aftermath of this attack."