Tehran States It Could Return to US Nuclear Negotiations if Treated with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'

Tehran is ready to resume nuclear negotiations with Washington on condition that it is treated with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has declared.

The Iranian diplomat stated only diplomacy produced results, and shared new appeals had been made by intermediaries to reopen talks with the Trump administration. He said Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Iran had not yet reached a point to allow the global atomic watchdog to access bombed nuclear sites for safety concerns.

Navigating a Challenging Route

Araghchi is walking a complex route since Iran aims to avoid appear to be proceeding from a position of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out more powerful defensively and mentally from the coordinated strike on its nuclear sites in June.

He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to refine atomic fuel on home soil that it will never give up" – the key factor of the stalemate in the prior discussions.

Previous Talks Suddenly Terminated

The previous five rounds of talks between the United States and Iran were brought to an abrupt and acrimonious termination on 12 June when Israel, with US support, targeted Iranian nuclear sites in a 12-day war that culminated with the American leader claiming the sites had been destroyed. Subsequently, European countries used their privilege to reinstate UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a significant effect.

Perfect Agreement Suggested

Iranian officials stated they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the uranium processing matter in prior discussions, when it was decided an domestic cooperative with Washington's engagement could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to assert triumph since local refinement would have remained and the US could be confident that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been settled in the talks that Washington's technical specialists could function on Iranian soil, but that was a logical implication of the cooperative offer. Diplomats asserted on multiple occasions they had reached agreement with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the deal to disintegrate due to "detractors in America".

Existing Position

Iranian officials stated the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the proposal could be revived in various formats if talks resume.

The American leader in recent days stated he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to resume discussions, but confidentially Tehran representatives state they are not yet receiving consistent overtures from the United States either directly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iran's state department has been criticized of non-responsiveness in the face of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran asserts negotiations is not part of a show.

Diplomatic Standpoint

In his remarks to the forum, aimed to portray the US as a controlling nation that abuses the concept of worldwide standards, the foreign minister stated the fortnight-long engagement demonstrated the clash could not be settled by armed force. He stated the assaults commenced with a US demand for an total Iran submission and concluded with an complete request for a halt to hostilities.

Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were mounted with full US knowledge and collaboration, making faith difficult to reestablish.

Diplomacy Continues the Final Solution

The foreign minister stated: "It was not Iran that had abandoned negotiations; it was America and the Western nations that had repeatedly sought to impose their demands during the talks. Dialogue can still be viable and stays the final resolution to address disputes, but its requirements, guidelines and principles must be respected."

"If they speak to the citizens of Tehran with the language of dignity and respect, they will obtain a response in the same approach."

Repair and Reconstruction

In what is described by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of repair and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was confident Iran's defence capabilities "have significantly improved than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been reestablished. We learned many lessons from this engagement; we have discovered our internal vulnerabilities and the shortcomings of the adversary."

He continued: "We effectively endured this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to eliminate, remains in place. The installations and machinery, if eliminated, will be restored; what is essential is the will of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but failed to destroy. The Iranian people have grown more powerful, more cohesive, and more supportive of the administration and the state in the aftermath of this attack."

Corey Hartman
Corey Hartman

A digital artist and graphic designer specializing in vector illustration, with over a decade of experience in the creative industry.