Iran is willing to restart nuclear discussions with the United States on condition that it is approached with "respect" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has stated.
Abbas Araghchi said solely negotiations worked, and disclosed fresh requests had originated from mediators to restart negotiations with the Trump administration. He claimed Iran possessed no secret atomic facilities, and Iran could not yet allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit struck enrichment centers for protective measures.
Araghchi is walking a difficult path since Iran aims to avoid be seen to be proceeding from a position of vulnerability, and he consistently maintained that Iran had emerged more resilient militarily and emotionally from the coordinated strike on its enrichment centers in June.
He was speaking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to process nuclear material on home soil that it will never give up" – the key factor of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.
The earlier sessions of negotiations between the United States and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious end on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, struck Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that concluded with Donald Trump declaring the sites had been destroyed. Subsequently, Western states used their privilege to restore global restrictions, but Iran maintains they have not had a substantial consequence.
Tehran representatives claimed they felt they had attained a "ideal resolution" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, when it was settled an local partnership with Washington's engagement could refine atomic fuel. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since home-based processing would have persisted and the US could be certain that Iran's enrichment initiative was entirely non-military.
It had not been agreed in the negotiations that US nuclear scientists could work within Iranian territory, but that was a logical implication of the consortium proposal. Diplomats claimed on multiple occasions they had achieved a deal with the US representative Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "opponents in the US".
Iranian officials stated the consortium offer was now withdrawn, but it seems highly likely the offer could be resurrected in some form if negotiations reopen.
The American leader recently stated he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to resume discussions, but privately Tehran representatives state they are not yet getting clear proposals from America either directly or from key regional mediators, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been criticized of inactivity in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Tehran says negotiations is not part of a performance.
In his speech to the conference, intended to portray the US as a dominant force that abuses the idea of worldwide standards, Araghchi said the 12-day war revealed the conflict could not be settled by combat operations. He asserted the assaults commenced with a American requirement for an unconditional Iranian surrender and culminated with an unconditional call for a ceasefire.
Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were executed with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making faith challenging to restore.
The foreign minister said: "It was not Iran that had abandoned diplomacy; it was America and the Western nations that had always attempted to enforce their will during the talks. Negotiations can still be active and remains the primary answer to resolve disputes, but its requirements, rules and tenets must be adhered to."
"In case they speak to the Iranian people with the language of dignity and respect, they will get a response in the same approach."
In what is portrayed by Tehran representatives as the battle of recovery and reconstruction, Araghchi stated he was confident Iran's military capacities "have significantly improved than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been reestablished. We acquired numerous insights from this conflict; we have discovered our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the adversary."
He continued: "We managed to survive this war. Our atomic expertise, which they planned to destroy, continues to exist. The sites and equipment, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is essential is the will of the nation of Iran and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but failed to shatter. The nation of Iran have become stronger, more integrated, and more endorsing of the leadership and the state in the aftermath of this invasion."
A tech analyst and business strategist with over a decade of experience in global markets, specializing in digital transformation and innovation.
