Iran Declares It Could Rejoin US Atomic Discussions if Handled with 'Dignity' and 'Honor'
Iran is prepared to reinitiate nuclear negotiations with the United States as long as it is approached with "respect" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has stated.
Abbas Araghchi declared exclusively dialogue was effective, and disclosed fresh requests had come from mediators to restart discussions with the US government. He claimed Iran possessed no undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran was not yet able to allow the UN nuclear inspectorate to access attacked atomic facilities for security reasons.
Walking a Difficult Course
The foreign minister is walking a difficult course since Iran does not want appear to be proceeding from a situation of vulnerability, and he emphatically stated that Iran had come out stronger militarily and mentally from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.
He was talking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an absolute privilege to process nuclear material domestically that it will always maintain" – the key factor of the stalemate in the previous talks.
Previous Negotiations Unexpectedly Ended
The previous five rounds of discussions between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and bitter termination on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, attacked Tehran's atomic facilities in a fortnight-long engagement that ended with Donald Trump declaring the sites had been destroyed. Subsequently, EU nations employed their right to reimpose global restrictions, but Iran maintains they have not had a major impact.
Perfect Agreement Offered
Iranian officials said they felt they had reached a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, when it was decided an domestic cooperative with American involvement could process nuclear material. Both sides would have been able to assert triumph since local refinement would have persisted and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was solely for peaceful purposes.
It had not been decided in the discussions that US nuclear scientists could operate on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the consortium proposal. Officials claimed repeatedly they had secured an understanding with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the arrangement to fall apart due to "detractors in America".
Present Situation
Iran's diplomats said the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems very probable the proposal could be reintroduced in various formats if negotiations reopen.
The US president last week stated he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to resume discussions, but in private Iran's diplomats claim they are not yet receiving clear proposals from America either straightforwardly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iran's state department has been charged of inactivity in the wake of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran says diplomacy is not part of a show.
Political Position
In his remarks to the gathering, intended to paint the US as a hegemonic power that exploits the notion of international law, Araghchi declared the fortnight-long engagement showed the conflict could not be resolved by armed force. He stated the assaults commenced with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and ended with an complete request for a truce.
Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were carried out with full US knowledge and collaboration, making faith hard to restore.
Negotiations Remains the Final Resolution
Araghchi stated: "It was not Iran that had abandoned negotiations; it was America and the western countries that had consistently sought to dictate their demands during the negotiations. Diplomacy can still be viable and continues the primary answer to address disputes, but its criteria, rules and principles must be followed."
"If they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of dignity and honor, they will obtain a response in the equivalent language."
Repair and Reconstruction
In what is characterized by Iranian officials as the struggle of repair and reconstruction, the foreign minister said he was certain Iran's military capacities "have significantly improved than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been reestablished. We learned numerous insights from this conflict; we have come to know our internal vulnerabilities and the weaknesses of the adversary."
He added: "We effectively endured this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they aimed to obliterate, stays intact. The facilities and machinery, if destroyed, will be rebuilt; what is crucial is the will of the citizens of Tehran and then the unity of the country that they targeted, but did not succeed to break. The citizens of Tehran have grown stronger, more cohesive, and more backing of the administration and the nation in the aftermath of this attack."