Tehran Declares It Could Rejoin US Atomic Discussions if Approached with 'Respect' and 'Honor'
Iran is prepared to reinitiate atomic talks with Washington on condition that it is handled with "respect" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has declared.
Abbas Araghchi said only diplomacy worked, and disclosed recent overtures had originated from mediators to restart discussions with the US government. He said Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to authorize the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect bombed nuclear sites for security reasons.
Navigating a Challenging Path
Araghchi is walking a complex route since Iran does not want be seen to be acting from a position of disadvantage, and he consistently maintained that Iran had come out more powerful in military terms and mentally from the joint assault on its nuclear sites in June.
He was speaking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to process nuclear material on home soil that it will perpetually retain" – the main reason of the deadlock in the prior discussions.
Prior Discussions Suddenly Terminated
The earlier sessions of negotiations between the United States and Iran were ended suddenly and hostile conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with Washington's assistance, attacked Tehran's atomic facilities in a fortnight-long engagement that culminated with the American leader asserting the sites had been eliminated. Following this, European countries exercised their authority to reimpose global restrictions, but Iran maintains they have not had a significant effect.
Perfect Agreement Proposed
Iran's diplomats stated they felt they had reached a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in prior discussions, when it was settled an domestic cooperative with US participation could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since home-based processing would have persisted and the US could be confident that Iran's nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes.
It had not been decided in the discussions that US nuclear scientists could function on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the cooperative offer. Representatives claimed three times they had secured an understanding with Trump's special envoy the American negotiator only for the agreement to fall apart due to "detractors in America".
Existing Status
Iranian officials said the consortium offer was now no longer available, but it seems highly likely the suggestion could be reintroduced in some form if discussions restart.
Trump recently said he had been receiving messages that Iran sought to restart talks, but confidentially Tehran representatives say they are not yet getting consistent overtures from the United States either directly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been charged of passivity in the wake of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran states negotiations is not part of a performance.
Diplomatic Stance
In his speech to the gathering, aimed to depict the US as a controlling nation that misuses the concept of international law, Araghchi stated the 12-day war showed the dispute could not be settled by armed force. He said the strikes began with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and ended with an complete request for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is certain the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were mounted with total Washington understanding and cooperation, making trust difficult to rebuild.
Diplomacy Stays the Primary Answer
The foreign minister declared: "It was not Iran that had deserted negotiations; it was America and the Western nations that had always attempted to enforce their will during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be viable and continues the final answer to settle disputes, but its criteria, rules and tenets must be respected."
"In case they speak to the citizens of Tehran with the approach of dignity and respect, they will receive a response in the identical approach."
Recovery and Reconstruction
In what is portrayed by Iranian officials as the conflict of recovery and recovery, Araghchi stated he was confident Iran's defence capabilities "have significantly improved than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been rebuilt. We gained many lessons from this engagement; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the enemy."
He continued: "We successfully passed this war. Our atomic expertise, which they aimed to destroy, remains in place. The sites and machinery, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is essential is the resolve of the Iranian people and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but did not succeed to destroy. The citizens of Tehran have become more powerful, more united, and more supportive of the leadership and the nation in the wake of this assault."