Tehran Declares It May Rejoin US Nuclear Discussions if Approached with 'Respect' and 'Respect'
Tehran is ready to restart nuclear discussions with the United States as long as it is treated with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has announced.
Abbas Araghchi said exclusively dialogue produced results, and disclosed recent overtures had originated from mediators to reopen talks with the Trump administration. He said Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran was not yet able to permit the global atomic watchdog to visit bombed nuclear sites for security reasons.
Navigating a Challenging Course
Araghchi is walking a complex route since Iran does not want be seen to be acting from a situation of disadvantage, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged more resilient defensively and emotionally from the joint assault on its nuclear sites in June.
He was speaking at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to enrich uranium domestically that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.
Previous Negotiations Abruptly Terminated
The earlier sessions of negotiations between the United States and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, targeted Iranian nuclear sites in a 12-day war that culminated with the American leader claiming the locations had been eliminated. Following this, Western states employed their privilege to reinstate global restrictions, but Iran asserts they have not had a major impact.
Magic Solution Proposed
Tehran representatives stated they felt they had attained a "ideal resolution" to the enrichment issue in prior discussions, when it was settled an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could refine atomic fuel. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have persisted and the US could be certain that Iran's atomic project was entirely non-military.
It had not been agreed in the talks that US nuclear scientists could operate inside Iran, but that was a natural consequence of the consortium proposal. Representatives stated repeatedly they had reached agreement with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the agreement to fall apart due to "spoilers in Washington".
Present Situation
Iran's diplomats stated the cooperative arrangement was now withdrawn, but it seems very probable the proposal could be revived in some form if discussions reopen.
The American leader in recent days claimed he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to reopen negotiations, but privately Tehran representatives state they are not yet getting consistent overtures from the United States either straightforwardly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been accused of non-responsiveness in the face of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Tehran states negotiations is not part of a show.
Diplomatic Standpoint
In his speech to the conference, intended to depict the US as a hegemonic power that abuses the idea of international law, Araghchi declared the fortnight-long engagement demonstrated the conflict could not be ended by military means. He stated the assaults began with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and ended with an complete request for a ceasefire.
Iran is certain the initial Israeli attacks were mounted with total Washington understanding and cooperation, making faith hard to rebuild.
Negotiations Stays the Primary Answer
Araghchi stated: "It was not Iran that had deserted negotiations; it was the United States and the European states that had repeatedly attempted to enforce their demands during the talks. Dialogue can still be active and stays the primary solution to settle disputes, but its requirements, guidelines and fundamentals must be adhered to."
"If they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of dignity and honor, they will receive a response in the equivalent language."
Restoration and Reconstruction
In what is portrayed by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of recovery and reconstruction, the foreign minister stated he was assured Iran's defence capabilities "are much stronger than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been restored. We learned many lessons from this engagement; we have come to know our personal limitations and the vulnerabilities of the enemy."
He stated: "We successfully passed this engagement. Our enrichment knowledge, which they aimed to obliterate, stays intact. The sites and machinery, if eliminated, will be reconstructed; what is crucial is the resolve of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to break. The Iranian people have become more powerful, more united, and more endorsing of the leadership and the country in the wake of this assault."