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Iran is prepared to restart atomic negotiations with the United States as long as it is handled with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has declared.

Abbas Araghchi stated exclusively dialogue was effective, and revealed fresh requests had come from go-betweens to reopen talks with the American leadership. He claimed Iran had zero unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to authorize the International Atomic Energy Agency to access struck enrichment centers for safety concerns.

Navigating a Difficult Path

The foreign minister is navigating a difficult route since Iran does not want be seen to be operating from a stance of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out stronger defensively and psychologically from the Israeli-US attack on its enrichment centers in June.

He was speaking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material within its borders that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.

Earlier Negotiations Unexpectedly Ended

The prior phases of negotiations between the United States and Iran were ended suddenly and hostile end on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, struck Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that ended with the American leader declaring the locations had been obliterated. Subsequently, EU nations exercised their privilege to reimpose international penalties, but Iran maintains they have not had a significant effect.

Magic Solution Suggested

Iran's diplomats 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 refine atomic fuel. Both sides would have been able to declare success since home-based processing would have remained and the US could be confident that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been agreed in the discussions that American atomic experts could operate on Iranian soil, but that was a reasonable assumption of the consortium proposal. Diplomats asserted on multiple occasions they had secured an understanding with Trump's special envoy the American negotiator only for the arrangement to fall apart due to "spoilers in Washington".

Existing Status

Iranian officials declared the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems quite possible the suggestion could be resurrected in some form if talks resume.

The US president in recent days said he had been obtaining communications that Iran wanted to restart talks, but in private Iranian officials claim they are not yet receiving clear proposals from Washington either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of inactivity in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran says negotiations is not part of a show.

Political Position

In his speech to the forum, intended to portray the US as a dominant force that abuses the notion of worldwide standards, the foreign minister said the fortnight-long engagement revealed the dispute could not be ended by armed force. He stated the assaults commenced with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and concluded with an complete request for a truce.

Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were executed with total Washington understanding and cooperation, making trust difficult to reestablish.

Diplomacy Stays the Ultimate Answer

Araghchi said: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned diplomacy; it was America and the European states that had consistently tried to enforce their desires during the negotiations. Diplomacy can still be alive and stays the ultimate resolution to settle disagreements, but its standards, regulations and principles must be adhered to."

"If they speak to the nation of Iran with the language of dignity and respect, they will obtain a answer in the same tone."

Restoration and Rebuilding

In what is described by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of restoration and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was certain Iran's security strengths "are considerably enhanced than before 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been restored. We acquired numerous insights from this conflict; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the shortcomings of the opponent."

He continued: "We effectively endured this war. Our nuclear technology, which they aimed to destroy, continues to exist. The facilities and equipment, if eliminated, will be reconstructed; what is crucial is the resolve of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they targeted, but failed to destroy. The citizens of Tehran have become more resilient, more united, and more endorsing of the government and the state in the aftermath of this assault."