Tehran Declares It May Rejoin US Atomic Talks if Treated with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Tehran is prepared to reinitiate atomic negotiations with Washington on condition that it is treated with "respect" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has announced.
Abbas Araghchi declared exclusively dialogue produced results, and revealed fresh requests had come from mediators to reopen talks with the US government. He claimed Iran possessed no unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran could not yet authorize the global atomic watchdog to access attacked atomic facilities for safety concerns.
Navigating a Challenging Route
The foreign minister is walking a complex route since Iran aims to avoid be perceived to be operating from a situation of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out more powerful militarily and mentally from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.
He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an inalienable right to refine atomic fuel on home soil that it will never give up" – the key factor of the deadlock in the prior discussions.
Previous Negotiations Unexpectedly Concluded
The prior phases of negotiations between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and hostile termination on 12 June when Israel, with US support, attacked Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that ended with Donald Trump claiming the sites had been destroyed. Subsequently, EU nations used their authority to reinstate international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.
Magic Solution Offered
Iranian officials claimed they felt they had achieved a "perfect agreement" to the uranium processing matter in prior discussions, when it was settled an Iran-based consortium with US participation could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have remained and the US could be certain that Iran's nuclear programme was exclusively peaceful.
It had not been settled in the negotiations that American atomic experts could operate within Iranian territory, but that was a reasonable assumption of the consortium proposal. Officials asserted three times they had secured an understanding with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the agreement to collapse due to "spoilers in Washington".
Current Status
Iranian officials said the partnership proposal was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the offer could be revived in certain ways if talks resume.
The American leader last week said he had been getting signals that Iran desired to reopen negotiations, but privately Tehran representatives say they are not yet receiving clear proposals from the United States either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, Egypt, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been accused of non-responsiveness in the aftermath of the US president's straightforward manner, but Iran asserts dialogue is not part of a show.
Negotiating Stance
In his address to the forum, designed to paint the US as a controlling nation that exploits the concept of global regulations, Araghchi declared the fortnight-long engagement demonstrated the conflict could not be ended by armed force. He said the assaults began with a American requirement for an unconditional Iranian surrender and concluded with an unconditional call for a truce.
Iran is convinced the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were mounted with total Washington understanding and cooperation, making trust difficult to restore.
Dialogue Remains the Ultimate Answer
Araghchi said: "It was not Iran that had fled diplomacy; it was America and the western countries that had repeatedly sought to dictate their will during the talks. Diplomacy can still be alive and continues the final resolution to resolve conflicts, but its criteria, regulations and fundamentals must be followed."
"Provided that they address to the Iranian people with the approach of respect and honor, they will obtain a answer in the identical tone."
Recovery and Recovery
In what is described by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of repair and rebuilding, the foreign minister said he was confident Iran's security strengths "have significantly improved than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been restored. We learned numerous insights from this conflict; we have discovered our own weaknesses and the shortcomings of the enemy."
He continued: "We effectively endured this conflict. Our nuclear technology, which they aimed to eliminate, stays intact. The sites and equipment, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is essential is the will of the Iranian people and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but were unable to shatter. The citizens of Tehran have become more resilient, more cohesive, and more supportive of the administration and the state in the wake of this assault."