Iran States It Might Resume American Atomic Negotiations if Treated with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Tehran is willing to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States on condition that it is handled with "dignity" and "respect", Tehran's foreign minister has declared.
The Iranian diplomat said only diplomacy worked, and revealed fresh requests had been made by mediators to resume negotiations with the Trump administration. He asserted Iran possessed no unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran could not yet permit the International Atomic Energy Agency to access bombed nuclear sites for protective measures.
Walking a Challenging Route
Araghchi is navigating a difficult route since Iran does not want appear to be operating from a situation of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged more resilient defensively and mentally from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.
He was addressing at a security conference in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an absolute privilege to process nuclear material domestically that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.
Earlier Negotiations Abruptly Concluded
The prior phases of talks between the United States and Iran were brought to an abrupt and hostile termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, struck Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that ended with the US president asserting the sites had been eliminated. Afterward, EU nations employed their right to reinstate UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.
Magic Solution Suggested
Iran's diplomats claimed they felt they had reached a "perfect agreement" to the uranium processing matter in prior discussions, when it was settled an domestic cooperative with Washington's engagement could refine atomic fuel. Each party would have been able to assert triumph since local refinement would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was entirely non-military.
It had not been decided in the talks that American atomic experts could operate on Iranian soil, but that was a reasonable assumption of the partnership suggestion. Diplomats claimed three times they had achieved a deal with the US representative the US official only for the agreement to collapse due to "spoilers in Washington".
Current Situation
Iran's diplomats declared the cooperative arrangement was now no longer available, but it seems quite possible the suggestion could be revived in various formats if talks resume.
The American leader in recent days said he had been obtaining communications that Iran sought to resume discussions, but confidentially Iran's diplomats say they are not yet receiving consistent overtures from the United States either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iran's state department has been charged of passivity in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran says diplomacy is not part of a show.
Diplomatic Position
In his speech to the gathering, aimed to paint the US as a controlling nation that misuses the idea of global regulations, the foreign minister stated the two-week conflict showed the conflict could not be settled by combat operations. He asserted the attacks commenced with a US demand for an total Iran submission and ended with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is assured the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were mounted with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making faith difficult to reestablish.
Diplomacy Remains the Ultimate Resolution
The foreign minister stated: "Tehran was not the one that had deserted diplomacy; it was the United States and the European states that had always sought to impose their will during the discussions. Dialogue can still be alive and remains the final resolution to resolve disagreements, but its standards, rules and principles must be respected."
"In case they address to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of respect and honor, they will get a reply in the equivalent tone."
Repair and Recovery
In what is portrayed by Iran's diplomats as the battle of repair and recovery, Araghchi stated he was certain Iran's defence capabilities "are much stronger than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been reestablished. We learned multiple understandings from this war; we have identified our internal vulnerabilities and the shortcomings of the enemy."
He stated: "We effectively endured this conflict. Our nuclear technology, which they intended to obliterate, stays intact. The installations and machinery, if destroyed, will be reconstructed; what is important is the will of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but were unable to break. The nation of Iran have developed stronger, more integrated, and more supportive of the administration and the state in the wake of this assault."