Tehran Declares It Might Resume American Atomic Talks if Handled with 'Dignity' and 'Honor'
Iran is willing to reinitiate nuclear discussions with Washington as long as it is handled with "dignity" and "honor", Tehran's top diplomat has declared.
Abbas Araghchi declared only diplomacy worked, and disclosed fresh requests had originated from mediators to restart negotiations with the American leadership. He asserted Iran possessed no undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran was not yet able to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit bombed nuclear sites for security reasons.
Walking a Difficult Course
The foreign minister is navigating a complex route since Iran does not want appear to be operating from a stance of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had arisen more resilient militarily and mentally from the joint assault on its nuclear sites in June.
He was speaking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to enrich uranium domestically that it will never give up" – the key factor of the impasse in the prior discussions.
Prior Negotiations Unexpectedly Terminated
The earlier sessions of negotiations between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious end on 12 June when Israel, with US support, attacked Tehran's atomic facilities in a two-week conflict that concluded with the American leader asserting the sites had been obliterated. Afterward, European countries exercised their authority to restore UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.
Perfect Agreement Suggested
Tehran representatives stated they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, when it was agreed an domestic cooperative with US participation could enrich uranium. Each party would have been able to claim victory 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 decided in the talks that Washington's technical specialists could work within Iranian territory, but that was a reasonable assumption of the consortium proposal. Representatives stated on multiple occasions they had reached agreement with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the deal to fall apart due to "detractors in America".
Existing Situation
Iranian officials stated the consortium offer was now withdrawn, but it seems highly likely the offer could be resurrected in various formats if negotiations restart.
The US president last week stated he had been obtaining communications that Iran sought to restart talks, but in private Iranian officials state they are not yet obtaining clear proposals from America either straightforwardly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been accused of passivity in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran asserts dialogue is not part of a show.
Negotiating Standpoint
In his speech to the conference, aimed to portray the US as a dominant force that abuses the notion of global regulations, the foreign minister said the fortnight-long engagement revealed the clash could not be settled by combat operations. He asserted the strikes commenced with a American requirement for an unconditional Iranian surrender and concluded with an absolute demand for a truce.
Iran is certain the initial Israeli attacks were carried out with full US knowledge and cooperation, making faith challenging to rebuild.
Diplomacy Stays the Ultimate Resolution
Araghchi declared: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned dialogue; it was the United States and the western countries that had consistently sought to impose their desires during the negotiations. Negotiations can still be viable and remains the ultimate solution to settle conflicts, but its criteria, rules and tenets must be adhered to."
"Provided that they address to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of respect and respect, they will obtain a answer in the identical approach."
Restoration and Reconstruction
In what is described by Tehran representatives as the battle of restoration and recovery, the foreign minister stated he was assured Iran's military capacities "have significantly improved than before 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been restored. We gained numerous insights from this war; we have discovered our own weaknesses and the weaknesses of the adversary."
He stated: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our atomic expertise, which they intended to obliterate, stays intact. The installations and equipment, if eliminated, will be rebuilt; what is crucial is the will of the citizens of Tehran and then the national cohesion that they targeted, but were unable to break. The Iranian people have developed more resilient, more integrated, and more backing of the leadership and the country in the aftermath of this assault."