Tehran Says It May Rejoin American Atomic Talks if Treated with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Iran is prepared to resume atomic talks with Washington provided that it is handled with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has stated.
Abbas Araghchi said exclusively dialogue produced results, and revealed fresh requests had originated from go-betweens to restart talks with the US government. He claimed Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to access struck enrichment centers for protective measures.
Navigating a Complex Path
The foreign minister is navigating a difficult path since Iran does not want appear to be acting from a position of vulnerability, and he consistently maintained that Iran had emerged more resilient militarily and emotionally from the Israeli-US attack on its enrichment centers in June.
He was speaking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an absolute privilege to process nuclear material within its borders that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the impasse in the earlier negotiations.
Previous Discussions Abruptly Concluded
The earlier sessions of negotiations between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and hostile end on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, struck Iran's enrichment centers in a fortnight-long engagement that ended with the US president asserting the facilities had been obliterated. Subsequently, Western states exercised their privilege to reinstate global restrictions, but Iran insists they have not had a significant effect.
Magic Solution Suggested
Iran's diplomats stated they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the uranium processing matter in earlier negotiations, when it was settled an Iran-based consortium with US participation could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be certain that Iran's enrichment initiative was entirely non-military.
It had not been settled in the talks that Washington's technical specialists could work within Iranian territory, but that was a logical implication of the cooperative offer. Diplomats asserted repeatedly they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the arrangement to collapse due to "spoilers in Washington".
Present Position
Iran's diplomats stated the consortium offer was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the offer could be reintroduced in some form if discussions reopen.
The American leader in recent days claimed he had been getting signals that Iran wanted to reopen negotiations, but in private Iran's diplomats claim they are not yet getting consistent overtures from the United States either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been criticized of inactivity in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran says dialogue is not part of a spectacle.
Political Standpoint
In his speech to the gathering, designed to depict the US as a dominant force that abuses the concept of worldwide standards, Araghchi declared the two-week conflict showed the conflict could not be resolved by combat operations. He stated the attacks began with a US demand for an unconditional Iranian surrender and concluded with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is convinced the initial Israeli attacks were mounted with complete American awareness and cooperation, making confidence difficult to rebuild.
Diplomacy Remains the Final Solution
The foreign minister said: "Tehran was not the one that had deserted dialogue; it was the United States and the western countries that had always sought to dictate their desires during the talks. Dialogue can still be viable and continues the primary solution to address disputes, but its standards, regulations and fundamentals must be adhered to."
"If they address to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of respect and honor, they will get a reply in the identical tone."
Restoration and Recovery
In what is characterized by Tehran representatives as the conflict of restoration and recovery, Araghchi claimed he was confident Iran's defence capabilities "are much stronger than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been restored. We acquired multiple understandings from this conflict; we have come to know our personal limitations and the weaknesses of the enemy."
He continued: "We successfully passed this conflict. Our nuclear technology, which they aimed to obliterate, remains in place. The sites and machinery, if destroyed, will be restored; what is important is the will of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they targeted, but failed to destroy. The citizens of Tehran have grown stronger, more integrated, and more supportive of the leadership and the country in the wake of this invasion."