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Tehran is prepared to resume nuclear negotiations with Washington as long as it is approached with "respect" and "respect", Tehran's foreign minister has announced.

Abbas Araghchi stated only diplomacy produced results, and disclosed fresh requests had been made by go-betweens to reopen discussions with the US government. He said Iran had zero secret atomic facilities, and Iran could not yet permit the International Atomic Energy Agency to access struck enrichment centers for security reasons.

Navigating a Challenging Route

Araghchi is walking a challenging course since Iran wishes not to appear to be operating from a situation of disadvantage, and he consistently maintained that Iran had arisen more powerful militarily and emotionally from the coordinated strike on its nuclear sites in June.

He was speaking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to refine atomic fuel on home soil that it will always maintain" – the main reason of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Previous Discussions Suddenly Terminated

The earlier sessions of talks between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and bitter conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, targeted Tehran's atomic facilities in a two-week conflict that culminated with the American leader asserting the sites had been destroyed. Afterward, European countries exercised their privilege to reimpose UN-wide sanctions, but Iran asserts they have not had a significant effect.

Ideal Resolution Proposed

Iranian officials stated they felt they had attained a "ideal resolution" to the nuclear fuel concern in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an local partnership with Washington's engagement could process nuclear material. Both sides would have been able to claim victory since home-based processing would have persisted and the US could be confident that Iran's atomic project was exclusively peaceful.

It had not been settled in the negotiations that Washington's technical specialists could work inside Iran, but that was a reasonable assumption of the cooperative offer. Officials stated repeatedly they had reached agreement with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the agreement to disintegrate due to "detractors in America".

Current Situation

Iranian officials said the cooperative arrangement was now withdrawn, but it seems quite possible the suggestion could be resurrected in some form if discussions reopen.

Trump last week stated he had been receiving messages that Iran wanted to resume discussions, but in private Tehran representatives state they are not yet receiving clear proposals from America either directly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of non-responsiveness in the aftermath of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran asserts diplomacy is not part of a show.

Diplomatic Standpoint

In his remarks to the forum, intended to portray the US as a dominant force that misuses the notion of international law, the foreign minister declared the 12-day war showed the conflict could not be settled by armed force. He asserted the attacks started with a US demand for an unconditional Iranian surrender and ended with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.

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

Dialogue Remains the Primary Answer

The foreign minister said: "It was not Iran that had fled dialogue; it was America and the European states that had consistently sought to dictate their will during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be alive and stays the final answer to address disagreements, but its criteria, guidelines and tenets must be respected."

"Provided that they speak to the Iranian people with the language of respect and honor, they will receive a reply in the equivalent tone."

Recovery and Reconstruction

In what is characterized by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of repair and rebuilding, the foreign minister said he was certain Iran's security strengths "are much stronger than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been reestablished. We gained numerous insights from this war; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the weaknesses of the enemy."

He added: "We successfully passed this engagement. Our nuclear technology, which they intended to eliminate, continues to exist. The facilities and gear, if eliminated, will be restored; what is essential is the will of the Iranian people and then the national cohesion that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to break. The citizens of Tehran have become more resilient, more cohesive, and more backing of the leadership and the nation in the face of this assault."