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Tehran is ready to reinitiate atomic negotiations with the United States as long as it is treated with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has announced.

Abbas Araghchi stated only diplomacy worked, and shared fresh requests had come from intermediaries to reopen talks with the US government. He asserted Iran had zero unreported enrichment locations, and Iran could not yet authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to inspect attacked atomic facilities for protective measures.

Navigating a Difficult Route

The foreign minister is walking a complex course since Iran wishes not to be seen to be operating from a situation of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had come out stronger in military terms and psychologically from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to enrich uranium domestically that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the impasse in the previous talks.

Earlier Discussions Unexpectedly Concluded

The prior phases of talks between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and hostile conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with Washington's assistance, attacked Iranian nuclear sites in a 12-day war that ended with the American leader declaring the facilities had been obliterated. Following this, European countries employed their privilege to restore international penalties, but Iran maintains they have not had a substantial consequence.

Perfect Agreement Suggested

Tehran representatives claimed they felt they had achieved a "perfect agreement" to the enrichment issue in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with US participation could process nuclear material. Both sides would have been able to claim victory since local refinement would have persisted and the US could be confident that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been decided in the negotiations that Washington's technical specialists could operate inside Iran, but that was a logical implication of the cooperative offer. Representatives asserted repeatedly they had achieved a deal with the US representative the US official only for the arrangement to fall apart due to "opponents in the US".

Existing Position

Iran's diplomats declared the consortium offer was now no longer available, but it seems highly likely the offer could be resurrected in some form if talks restart.

The American leader in recent days said he had been receiving messages that Iran sought to restart talks, but privately Tehran representatives claim they are not yet receiving coherent offers from America either explicitly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been accused of non-responsiveness in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran states diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.

Political Stance

In his speech to the forum, aimed to depict the US as a controlling nation that misuses the idea of international law, Araghchi stated the two-week conflict showed the dispute could not be resolved by armed force. He said the assaults started with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and ended with an absolute demand for a truce.

Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were executed with full US knowledge and collaboration, making trust difficult to restore.

Negotiations Remains the Ultimate Resolution

Araghchi stated: "Tehran was not the one that had fled diplomacy; it was America and the European states that had repeatedly sought to impose their will during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be viable and stays the ultimate solution to address disputes, but its standards, guidelines and fundamentals must be adhered to."

"If they speak to the nation of Iran with the language of dignity and respect, they will receive a response in the equivalent approach."

Restoration and Recovery

In what is portrayed by Iranian officials as the conflict of recovery and rebuilding, Araghchi stated he was certain Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been reestablished. We acquired many lessons from this conflict; we have come to know our personal limitations and the weaknesses of the opponent."

He stated: "We effectively endured this conflict. Our nuclear technology, which they intended to obliterate, remains in place. The facilities and equipment, if eliminated, will be reconstructed; what is important is the determination of the citizens of Tehran and then the national cohesion that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to shatter. The Iranian people have developed more resilient, more united, and more endorsing of the administration and the nation in the face of this assault."