Iran Declares It May Return to American Atomic Discussions if Approached with 'Respect' and 'Honor'
Tehran is ready to resume nuclear talks with Washington provided that it is treated with "respect" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has declared.
Abbas Araghchi declared only diplomacy was effective, and shared new appeals had come from go-betweens to reopen talks with the American leadership. He claimed Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran was not yet able to authorize the global atomic watchdog to access struck enrichment centers for safety concerns.
Walking a Complex Path
The foreign minister is treading a difficult route since Iran aims to avoid be seen to be proceeding from a situation of disadvantage, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had arisen stronger in military terms and psychologically from the joint assault on its enrichment centers in June.
He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to enrich uranium domestically that it will always maintain" – the key factor of the deadlock in the previous talks.
Previous Discussions Suddenly Ended
The previous five rounds of discussions between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious end on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, struck Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that ended with Donald Trump claiming the facilities had been eliminated. Afterward, Western states used their privilege to reinstate global restrictions, but Iran maintains they have not had a significant effect.
Perfect Agreement Offered
Tehran representatives claimed they felt they had achieved a "ideal resolution" to the nuclear fuel concern in prior discussions, when it was settled an Iran-based consortium with US participation could refine atomic fuel. The two nations would have been able to declare success since local refinement would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.
It had not been agreed in the negotiations that US nuclear scientists could work on Iranian soil, but that was a logical implication of the partnership suggestion. Diplomats claimed repeatedly they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the deal to fall apart due to "detractors in America".
Present Position
Iran's diplomats stated the cooperative arrangement was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the offer could be reintroduced in some form if negotiations resume.
The US president recently stated he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to restart talks, but confidentially Iranian officials state they are not yet receiving coherent offers from Washington either directly or from key regional mediators, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been criticized of inactivity in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Iran states negotiations is not part of a performance.
Diplomatic Position
In his remarks to the forum, aimed to depict the US as a hegemonic power that misuses the concept of worldwide standards, the foreign minister declared the 12-day war demonstrated the conflict could not be settled by armed force. He said the strikes began with a US demand for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an complete request for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is assured the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were mounted with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making faith hard to reestablish.
Dialogue Remains the Primary Resolution
Araghchi said: "It was not Iran that had deserted dialogue; it was America and the Western nations that had always sought to dictate their desires during the negotiations. Diplomacy can still be viable and remains the primary resolution to address conflicts, but its criteria, regulations and fundamentals must be followed."
"Provided that they address to the Iranian people with the tone of respect and honor, they will get a response in the identical language."
Recovery and Rebuilding
In what is described by Iranian officials as the struggle of restoration and recovery, the foreign minister claimed he was confident Iran's military capacities "have significantly improved than before 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been rebuilt. We gained numerous insights from this engagement; we have identified our own weaknesses and the weaknesses of the adversary."
He continued: "We successfully passed this engagement. Our atomic expertise, which they planned to eliminate, remains in place. The facilities and equipment, if destroyed, will be restored; what is essential is the resolve of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they targeted, but did not succeed to destroy. The nation of Iran have grown more resilient, more cohesive, and more endorsing of the leadership and the nation in the face of this assault."