🔗 Share this article

Tehran is prepared to resume atomic discussions with Washington provided that it is handled with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has declared.

The Iranian diplomat said solely negotiations worked, and revealed recent overtures had been made by go-betweens to reopen negotiations with the Trump administration. He asserted Iran had zero secret atomic facilities, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to authorize the International Atomic Energy Agency to access attacked atomic facilities for security reasons.

Navigating a Complex Path

The foreign minister is navigating a difficult path since Iran does not want be seen to be proceeding from a position of vulnerability, and he emphatically stated that Iran had come out more powerful militarily and emotionally from the Israeli-US attack on its nuclear sites in June.

He was speaking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to process nuclear material within its borders that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the stalemate in the prior discussions.

Earlier Negotiations Unexpectedly Ended

The earlier sessions of discussions between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and hostile conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with US support, struck Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that culminated with the American leader claiming the facilities had been eliminated. Subsequently, European countries employed their authority to reinstate international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.

Perfect Agreement Suggested

Tehran representatives stated they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the uranium processing matter in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an local partnership with Washington's engagement could refine atomic fuel. Each party would have been able to declare success since local refinement would have continued and the US could be certain that Iran's atomic project was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been agreed in the negotiations that American atomic experts could function within Iranian territory, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Representatives stated repeatedly they had achieved a deal with the US representative the US official only for the agreement to fall apart due to "opponents in the US".

Present Status

Tehran representatives declared the partnership proposal was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the proposal could be reintroduced in some form if discussions reopen.

Trump recently said he had been getting signals that Iran wanted to resume discussions, but confidentially Iran's diplomats say they are not yet obtaining consistent overtures from the United States either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Iran's state department has been charged of inactivity in the face of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran says dialogue is not part of a show.

Diplomatic Standpoint

In his remarks to the gathering, designed to paint the US as a dominant force that exploits the concept of worldwide standards, the foreign minister stated the fortnight-long engagement demonstrated the conflict could not be resolved by combat operations. He asserted the attacks commenced with a US demand for an unconditional Iranian surrender and culminated with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.

Iran is assured the initial Israeli attacks were mounted with full US knowledge and coordination, making faith challenging to rebuild.

Negotiations Stays the Primary Solution

The foreign minister stated: "It was not Iran that had fled negotiations; it was the United States and the European states that had consistently tried to dictate their desires during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be active and remains the ultimate answer to resolve disagreements, but its criteria, regulations and tenets must be adhered to."

"Provided that they speak to the nation of Iran with the approach of dignity and respect, they will get a answer in the same tone."

Recovery and Rebuilding

In what is characterized by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of recovery and reconstruction, the foreign minister claimed he was confident Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been reestablished. We learned multiple understandings from this engagement; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the shortcomings of the enemy."

He added: "We effectively endured this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to destroy, remains in place. The installations and machinery, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is important is the will of the Iranian people and then the national cohesion that they aimed at, but were unable to break. The Iranian people have become more powerful, more united, and more backing of the leadership and the nation in the face of this assault."