Iran States It Could Rejoin US Nuclear Negotiations provided that Treated with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Tehran is ready to reinitiate nuclear discussions with Washington on condition that it is handled with "respect" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has declared.
Abbas Araghchi said only diplomacy was effective, and disclosed fresh requests had come from go-betweens to resume talks with the US government. He asserted Iran had zero secret atomic facilities, and Iran had not yet reached a point to authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to access attacked atomic facilities for protective measures.
Walking a Complex Path
The foreign minister is treading a challenging path since Iran does not want be perceived to be acting from a position of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had come out more resilient in military terms and mentally from the Israeli-US attack on its atomic facilities in June.
He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to enrich uranium on home soil that it will never give up" – the key factor of the stalemate in the previous talks.
Previous Discussions Abruptly Ended
The earlier sessions of negotiations between the United States and Iran were ended suddenly and bitter end on 12 June when Israel, with US support, targeted Iran's enrichment centers in a two-week conflict that culminated with the US president declaring the locations had been destroyed. Following this, Western states employed their authority to restore global restrictions, but Iran insists they have not had a substantial consequence.
Magic Solution Offered
Iran's diplomats claimed they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the uranium processing matter in previous talks, when it was decided an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could process nuclear material. Both sides would have been able to assert triumph since home-based processing would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's nuclear programme was exclusively peaceful.
It had not been decided in the negotiations that Washington's technical specialists could operate inside Iran, but that was a reasonable assumption of the consortium proposal. Representatives claimed three times they had achieved a deal with the US representative the American negotiator only for the deal to disintegrate due to "spoilers in Washington".
Current Status
Tehran representatives stated the partnership proposal was now off the table, but it seems quite possible the offer could be reintroduced in various formats if discussions reopen.
Trump last week said he had been receiving messages that Iran wanted to reopen negotiations, but confidentially Iranian officials claim they are not yet receiving coherent offers from America either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been accused of passivity in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran asserts dialogue is not part of a spectacle.
Negotiating Standpoint
In his remarks to the conference, intended to portray the US as a hegemonic power that abuses the concept of global regulations, Araghchi said the 12-day war revealed the conflict could not be resolved by armed force. He said the strikes began with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and culminated with an complete request for a ceasefire.
Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were executed with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making faith difficult to restore.
Negotiations Continues the Primary Solution
Araghchi declared: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned dialogue; it was the United States and the western countries that had consistently tried to impose their will during the discussions. Dialogue can still be viable and stays the primary resolution to address conflicts, but its standards, regulations and principles must be followed."
"Provided that they address to the nation of Iran with the language of dignity and respect, they will get a answer in the equivalent approach."
Restoration and Rebuilding
In what is characterized by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of restoration and rebuilding, the foreign minister stated he was certain Iran's security strengths "have significantly improved than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been rebuilt. We learned numerous insights from this war; we have come to know our internal vulnerabilities and the shortcomings of the enemy."
He continued: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our nuclear technology, which they intended to destroy, remains in place. The installations and machinery, if damaged, will be restored; what is crucial is the resolve of the Iranian people and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but were unable to break. The Iranian people have become more powerful, more cohesive, and more backing of the government and the country in the wake of this assault."