Tehran Declares It Could Return to US Nuclear Talks if Approached with 'Dignity' and 'Honor'
Tehran is willing to reinitiate nuclear talks with Washington on condition that it is treated with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has declared.
The Iranian diplomat stated solely negotiations worked, and disclosed fresh requests had originated from go-betweens to reopen negotiations with the American leadership. He asserted Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Iran could not yet allow the UN nuclear inspectorate to visit bombed nuclear sites for protective measures.
Walking a Complex Route
The foreign minister is treading a challenging course since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be operating from a position of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had arisen stronger in military terms and psychologically from the coordinated strike on its atomic facilities in June.
He was speaking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an absolute privilege to enrich uranium within its borders that it will always maintain" – the main reason of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.
Prior Negotiations Suddenly Concluded
The prior phases of talks between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and hostile conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, struck Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that ended with Donald Trump declaring the sites had been obliterated. Afterward, European countries used their privilege to reimpose international penalties, but Iran asserts they have not had a substantial consequence.
Ideal Resolution Suggested
Iranian officials said they felt they had achieved a "ideal resolution" to the nuclear fuel concern in prior discussions, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to declare success since local refinement would have remained and the US could be assured that Iran's enrichment initiative was exclusively peaceful.
It had not been decided in the negotiations that American atomic experts could function on Iranian soil, but that was a logical implication of the partnership suggestion. Officials asserted repeatedly they had reached agreement with the US representative Steve Witkoff only for the deal to disintegrate due to "detractors in America".
Existing Status
Tehran representatives stated the cooperative arrangement was now withdrawn, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be resurrected in some form if discussions restart.
Trump in recent days said he had been obtaining communications that Iran wanted to resume discussions, but in private Iranian officials claim they are not yet receiving clear proposals from the United States either straightforwardly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been criticized of inactivity in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Tehran asserts diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.
Diplomatic Stance
In his remarks to the conference, designed to paint the US as a controlling nation that abuses the concept of worldwide standards, the foreign minister said the fortnight-long engagement demonstrated the dispute could not be settled by armed force. He stated the assaults began with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and culminated with an complete request for a truce.
Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were executed with complete American awareness and cooperation, making trust challenging to reestablish.
Dialogue Continues the Primary Answer
The foreign minister declared: "Tehran was not the one that had deserted negotiations; it was America and the European states that had consistently attempted to dictate their will during the discussions. Negotiations can still be alive and continues the ultimate answer to settle disagreements, but its requirements, rules and tenets must be respected."
"If they speak to the Iranian people with the approach of respect and honor, they will obtain a response in the equivalent language."
Repair and Rebuilding
In what is characterized by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of recovery and reconstruction, the foreign minister stated he was confident Iran's security strengths "have significantly improved than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We learned multiple understandings from this engagement; we have identified our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the adversary."
He stated: "We managed to survive this war. Our atomic expertise, which they planned to destroy, remains in place. The sites and machinery, if destroyed, will be rebuilt; what is essential is the will of the citizens of Tehran and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but were unable to destroy. The citizens of Tehran have grown stronger, more integrated, and more backing of the administration and the state in the aftermath of this attack."