Tehran Declares It May Rejoin American Nuclear Discussions if Treated with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Tehran is ready to reinitiate nuclear talks with the United States on condition that it is handled with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has declared.
Abbas Araghchi stated only diplomacy was effective, and shared new appeals had been made by go-betweens to reopen negotiations with the American leadership. He said Iran did not have undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran could not yet allow the UN nuclear inspectorate to inspect bombed nuclear sites for safety concerns.
Walking a Complex Path
Araghchi is walking a challenging route since Iran does not want be seen to be proceeding from a stance of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged more resilient in military terms and psychologically from the coordinated strike on its nuclear sites in June.
He was addressing at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to enrich uranium domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the key factor of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.
Previous Negotiations Abruptly Concluded
The earlier sessions of discussions between the United States and Iran were ended suddenly and hostile termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, attacked Iran's enrichment centers in a fortnight-long engagement that culminated with the American leader asserting the locations had been destroyed. Following this, European countries used their right to restore international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a significant effect.
Magic Solution Offered
Iranian officials stated they felt they had achieved a "perfect agreement" to the enrichment issue in earlier negotiations, when it was settled an local partnership with US participation could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to declare success since home-based processing would have persisted and the US could be certain that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely non-military.
It had not been settled in the talks that Washington's technical specialists could function within Iranian territory, but that was a reasonable assumption of the cooperative offer. Representatives stated repeatedly they had reached agreement with the US representative the US official only for the deal to fall apart due to "detractors in America".
Present Status
Iranian officials stated the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the proposal could be reintroduced in various formats if negotiations reopen.
The American leader in recent days stated he had been receiving messages that Iran sought to reopen negotiations, but confidentially Tehran representatives say they are not yet obtaining clear proposals from America either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of inactivity in the wake of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Tehran says diplomacy is not part of a performance.
Negotiating Stance
In his remarks to the conference, aimed to portray the US as a dominant force that misuses the idea of worldwide standards, the foreign minister stated the 12-day war showed the clash could not be settled by military means. He said the strikes began with a US demand for an total Iran submission and ended with an absolute demand for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is certain the initial Israeli attacks were executed with complete American awareness and cooperation, making trust challenging to rebuild.
Negotiations Stays the Ultimate Answer
The foreign minister declared: "It was not Iran that had fled diplomacy; it was America and the European states that had always sought to enforce their demands during the discussions. Negotiations can still be alive and stays the ultimate solution to settle conflicts, but its requirements, guidelines and tenets must be adhered to."
"Provided that they speak to the citizens of Tehran with the language of respect and honor, they will get a reply in the same approach."
Repair and Rebuilding
In what is described by Iran's diplomats as the battle of repair and reconstruction, the foreign minister said he was assured Iran's security strengths "are considerably enhanced than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been restored. We learned multiple understandings from this conflict; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the weaknesses of the enemy."
He stated: "We successfully passed this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they planned to eliminate, continues to exist. The facilities and machinery, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is essential is the determination of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but failed to shatter. The citizens of Tehran have grown stronger, more united, and more backing of the leadership and the state in the aftermath of this invasion."