Tehran Says It Could Resume US Nuclear Talks provided that Approached with 'Respect' and 'Honor'
Tehran is prepared to resume atomic discussions with the United States on condition that it is handled with "dignity" and "respect", Tehran's top diplomat has announced.
The Iranian diplomat said only diplomacy was effective, and shared new appeals had been made by mediators to reopen talks with the US government. He claimed Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran could not yet authorize the global atomic watchdog to visit bombed nuclear sites for security reasons.
Navigating a Challenging Path
The foreign minister is navigating a challenging path since Iran does not want appear to be acting from a position of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had arisen more resilient in military terms and emotionally from the joint assault on its nuclear sites in June.
He was speaking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to process nuclear material domestically that it will never give up" – the main reason of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.
Prior Discussions Unexpectedly Terminated
The previous five rounds of discussions between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and bitter conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, targeted Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that ended with Donald Trump asserting the facilities had been eliminated. Afterward, Western states employed their authority to reimpose international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.
Perfect Agreement Proposed
Iranian officials stated they felt they had reached a "perfect agreement" to the uranium processing matter in previous talks, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with Washington's engagement could enrich uranium. Each party would have been able to claim victory since home-based processing would have persisted and the US could be confident that Iran's nuclear programme was exclusively peaceful.
It had not been decided in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could function within Iranian territory, but that was a reasonable assumption of the consortium proposal. Diplomats asserted three times they had reached agreement with the US representative the US official only for the deal to fall apart due to "spoilers in Washington".
Existing Situation
Iran's diplomats declared the consortium offer was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the offer could be resurrected in various formats if talks reopen.
Trump recently claimed he had been obtaining communications that Iran desired to restart talks, but in private Tehran representatives claim they are not yet receiving clear proposals from Washington either explicitly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Iran's state department has been criticized of passivity in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran says negotiations is not part of a performance.
Diplomatic Standpoint
In his remarks to the forum, intended to portray the US as a hegemonic power that misuses the notion of global regulations, the foreign minister said the two-week conflict revealed the conflict could not be resolved by combat operations. He asserted the strikes started with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an complete request for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is convinced the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were carried out with full US knowledge and cooperation, making confidence hard to rebuild.
Dialogue Stays the Primary Solution
The foreign minister stated: "It was not Iran that had deserted negotiations; it was the United States and the western countries that had consistently tried to enforce their demands during the discussions. Diplomacy can still be alive and continues the primary resolution to resolve disputes, but its standards, guidelines and principles must be followed."
"If they address to the nation of Iran with the language of dignity and respect, they will get a response in the identical language."
Restoration and Rebuilding
In what is described by Tehran representatives as the struggle of restoration and reconstruction, the foreign minister said he was certain Iran's security strengths "have significantly improved than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been rebuilt. We learned many lessons from this engagement; we have identified our internal vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of the enemy."
He added: "We managed to survive this war. Our nuclear technology, which they planned to destroy, remains in place. The sites and machinery, if eliminated, will be restored; what is important is the resolve of the nation of Iran and then the national cohesion that they aimed at, but were unable to shatter. The citizens of Tehran have become more powerful, more united, and more supportive of the government and the country in the face of this invasion."