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Iran is prepared to reinitiate atomic negotiations with Washington as long as it is handled with "respect" and "respect", Tehran's foreign minister has stated.

The Iranian diplomat stated exclusively dialogue produced results, and disclosed fresh requests had come from intermediaries to reopen talks with the US government. He said Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran could not yet permit the UN nuclear inspectorate to access bombed nuclear sites for protective measures.

Walking a Complex Path

The foreign minister is navigating a challenging course since Iran wishes not to be seen to be acting from a position of weakness, and he consistently maintained that Iran had come out stronger in military terms and psychologically from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an inalienable right to enrich uranium on home soil that it will never give up" – the key factor of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Prior Discussions Abruptly Ended

The previous five rounds of talks between the United States and Iran were brought to an abrupt and bitter termination on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, targeted Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that ended with the US president declaring the facilities had been destroyed. Subsequently, EU nations used their authority to reimpose UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a significant effect.

Magic Solution Proposed

Iranian officials stated they felt they had achieved a "magic solution" to the uranium processing matter in previous talks, when it was settled an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could process nuclear material. 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 settled in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could function inside Iran, but that was a natural consequence of the cooperative offer. Representatives claimed repeatedly they had reached agreement with Trump's special envoy the US official only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "opponents in the US".

Existing Situation

Iranian officials stated the cooperative arrangement was now no longer available, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be revived in certain ways if negotiations reopen.

The US president recently claimed he had been receiving messages that Iran sought to reopen negotiations, but confidentially Iranian officials claim they are not yet obtaining consistent overtures from the United States either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been accused of non-responsiveness in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran says diplomacy is not part of a show.

Negotiating Standpoint

In his speech to the gathering, designed to portray the US as a dominant force that abuses the concept of worldwide standards, Araghchi stated the 12-day war demonstrated the clash could not be resolved by armed force. He stated the attacks began with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and ended with an absolute demand for a ceasefire.

Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were carried out with complete American awareness and cooperation, making confidence hard to reestablish.

Negotiations Stays the Primary Solution

The foreign minister said: "It was not Iran that had deserted diplomacy; it was America and the Western nations that had consistently tried to enforce their will during the talks. Dialogue can still be viable and remains the primary answer to address disagreements, but its requirements, rules and tenets must be respected."

"In case they talk to the nation of Iran with the approach of respect and honor, they will receive a reply in the identical approach."

Repair and Recovery

In what is described by Tehran representatives as the battle of recovery and reconstruction, the foreign minister claimed he was assured Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been restored. We gained many lessons from this conflict; we have identified our internal vulnerabilities and the weaknesses of the enemy."

He stated: "We managed to survive this war. Our nuclear technology, which they planned to destroy, stays intact. The facilities and equipment, if eliminated, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the determination of the citizens of Tehran and then the social solidarity that they aimed at, but did not succeed to break. The Iranian people have grown stronger, more united, and more endorsing of the government and the state in the wake of this invasion."