Tehran Declares It May Resume American Nuclear Negotiations provided that Treated with 'Respect' and 'Respect'

Iran is ready to restart nuclear talks with the United States on condition that it is treated with "respect" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has announced.

The Iranian diplomat declared only diplomacy was effective, and shared recent overtures had been made by intermediaries to resume discussions with the American leadership. He said Iran did not have undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran was not yet able to allow the global atomic watchdog to visit attacked atomic facilities for protective measures.

Navigating a Challenging Route

The foreign minister is treading a difficult route since Iran aims to avoid appear to be operating from a position of disadvantage, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out stronger militarily and mentally from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an inalienable right to enrich uranium domestically that it will never give up" – the main reason of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Previous Talks Suddenly Ended

The previous five rounds of discussions between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious termination on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, struck Iranian nuclear sites in a two-week conflict that ended with the US president declaring the sites had been obliterated. Afterward, European countries used their authority to reinstate UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a substantial consequence.

Perfect Agreement Suggested

Iran's diplomats claimed they felt they had reached a "magic solution" to the nuclear fuel concern in earlier negotiations, when it was decided an domestic cooperative with American involvement could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to assert triumph since home-based processing would have remained and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been agreed in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could function within Iranian territory, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Representatives asserted on multiple occasions they had reached agreement with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the agreement to collapse due to "opponents in the US".

Current Position

Iranian officials stated the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems quite possible the suggestion could be resurrected in various formats if negotiations restart.

The American leader in recent days claimed he had been getting signals that Iran wanted to restart talks, but in private Iran's diplomats claim they are not yet receiving clear proposals from America either directly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of non-responsiveness in the aftermath of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran states dialogue is not part of a show.

Political Position

In his address to the conference, designed to portray the US as a hegemonic power that abuses the concept of international law, Araghchi declared the fortnight-long engagement revealed the conflict could not be resolved by military means. He asserted the attacks commenced with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and culminated with an unconditional call for a ceasefire.

Iran is assured the initial Israeli attacks were carried out with complete American awareness and coordination, making confidence difficult to restore.

Negotiations Remains the Primary Resolution

The foreign minister declared: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned negotiations; it was the United States and the European states that had consistently sought to enforce their will during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be active and remains the ultimate answer to settle disagreements, but its standards, guidelines and tenets must be adhered to."

"In case they talk to the nation of Iran with the approach of respect and honor, they will receive a reply in the same language."

Restoration and Recovery

In what is portrayed by Iranian officials as the battle of recovery and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was certain Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been rebuilt. We acquired many lessons from this engagement; we have discovered our internal vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of the adversary."

He continued: "We successfully passed this war. Our atomic expertise, which they planned to destroy, stays intact. The facilities and equipment, if eliminated, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the resolve of the nation of Iran and then the social solidarity that they sought to undermine, but failed to shatter. The nation of Iran have grown more resilient, more united, and more backing of the government and the state in the wake of this assault."

Susan Lewis
Susan Lewis

Eleanor Vance is a seasoned journalist with over a decade of experience covering UK politics and social affairs for major publications.