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Tehran is prepared to reinitiate atomic talks with Washington as long as it is handled with "respect" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has announced.

The Iranian diplomat stated only diplomacy worked, and disclosed recent overtures had been made by go-betweens to resume negotiations with the American leadership. He said Iran did not have undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran could not yet permit the global atomic watchdog to visit bombed nuclear sites for security reasons.

Walking a Challenging Course

The foreign minister is navigating a difficult path since Iran aims to avoid be perceived to be proceeding from a position of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had emerged more powerful defensively and psychologically from the coordinated strike on its nuclear sites in June.

He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an inalienable right to refine atomic fuel on home soil that it will never give up" – the main reason of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Earlier Negotiations Abruptly Ended

The earlier sessions of discussions between the United States and Iran were brought to an abrupt and acrimonious termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, struck Iran's enrichment centers in a fortnight-long engagement that concluded with the American leader declaring the locations had been eliminated. Following this, Western states employed their privilege to restore international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.

Magic Solution Suggested

Iranian officials claimed they felt they had attained 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 home-based processing would have remained and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was entirely non-military.

It had not been decided in the negotiations that American atomic experts could operate within Iranian territory, but that was a natural consequence of the cooperative offer. Officials stated repeatedly they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "opponents in the US".

Present Position

Iran's diplomats declared the partnership proposal was now no longer available, but it seems quite possible the suggestion could be reintroduced in some form if discussions reopen.

The US president recently claimed he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to reopen negotiations, but confidentially Iran's diplomats say they are not yet getting consistent overtures from Washington either explicitly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of passivity in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran states diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.

Negotiating Position

In his address to the gathering, designed to depict the US as a hegemonic power that exploits the concept of international law, the foreign minister declared the fortnight-long engagement revealed the conflict could not be resolved by armed force. He stated the assaults began with a American requirement for an unconditional Iranian surrender and culminated with an absolute demand for a ceasefire.

Iran is assured the initial Israeli attacks were mounted with complete American awareness and coordination, making trust difficult to rebuild.

Negotiations Stays the Primary Answer

Araghchi stated: "It was not Iran that had abandoned dialogue; it was the United States and the Western nations that had always attempted to enforce their will during the talks. Diplomacy can still be viable and remains the final answer to settle disagreements, but its requirements, regulations and principles must be followed."

"If they address to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of respect and honor, they will receive a reply in the equivalent language."

Restoration and Reconstruction

In what is characterized by Tehran representatives as the battle of repair and reconstruction, Araghchi stated he was confident Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been restored. We gained many lessons from this war; we have identified our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the opponent."

He continued: "We effectively endured this conflict. Our atomic expertise, which they intended to destroy, stays intact. The sites and machinery, if destroyed, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the resolve of the citizens of Tehran and then the national cohesion that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to break. The nation of Iran have developed stronger, more cohesive, and more endorsing of the administration and the nation in the wake of this assault."