Tehran States It Could Return to US Atomic Negotiations if Approached with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Tehran is willing to resume nuclear talks with the United States on condition that it is handled with "respect" and "respect", Tehran's top diplomat has announced.
The Iranian diplomat said solely negotiations produced results, and shared new appeals had originated from go-betweens to restart talks with the US government. He asserted Iran had zero unreported enrichment locations, and Iran could not yet authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to visit attacked atomic facilities for protective measures.
Navigating a Complex Course
The foreign minister is treading a challenging route since Iran aims to avoid be perceived to be proceeding from a stance of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out more powerful in military terms and mentally from the Israeli-US attack on its nuclear sites in June.
He was addressing at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will always maintain" – the primary cause of the impasse in the prior discussions.
Previous Negotiations Abruptly Ended
The prior phases of talks between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and bitter termination on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, targeted Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that ended with the American leader claiming the sites had been destroyed. Afterward, European countries employed their privilege to reimpose UN-wide sanctions, but Iran maintains they have not had a substantial consequence.
Perfect Agreement Proposed
Iran's diplomats said they felt they had achieved a "magic solution" to the uranium processing matter in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an domestic cooperative with US participation could refine atomic fuel. Each party would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.
It had not been decided in the negotiations that American atomic experts could function on Iranian soil, but that was a reasonable assumption of the cooperative offer. Diplomats asserted repeatedly they had secured an understanding with the US representative the American negotiator only for the agreement to fall apart due to "spoilers in Washington".
Existing Position
Iranian officials said the partnership proposal was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the proposal could be revived in some form if discussions resume.
Trump in recent days claimed he had been getting signals that Iran wanted to reopen negotiations, but in private Tehran representatives say they are not yet obtaining clear proposals from Washington either explicitly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been criticized of passivity in the wake of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran says dialogue is not part of a performance.
Negotiating Position
In his speech to the gathering, aimed to portray the US as a dominant force that exploits the notion of worldwide standards, the foreign minister stated the fortnight-long engagement showed the conflict could not be resolved by armed force. He asserted the assaults started with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and concluded with an absolute demand for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were mounted with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making confidence difficult to restore.
Negotiations Remains the Final Solution
The foreign minister declared: "It was not Iran that had abandoned dialogue; it was the United States and the western countries that had consistently tried to impose their demands during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be alive and remains the primary resolution to settle disputes, but its requirements, rules and fundamentals must be adhered to."
"If they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the approach of respect and honor, they will receive a reply in the equivalent approach."
Repair and Rebuilding
In what is portrayed by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of recovery and reconstruction, the foreign minister said he was assured Iran's security strengths "are much stronger than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been restored. We acquired numerous insights from this engagement; we have identified our internal vulnerabilities and the weaknesses of the opponent."
He added: "We managed to survive this war. Our nuclear technology, which they intended to obliterate, stays intact. The sites and gear, if eliminated, will be restored; what is important is the resolve of the citizens of Tehran and then the national cohesion that they aimed at, but failed to destroy. The Iranian people have become more powerful, more cohesive, and more supportive of the leadership and the state in the wake of this attack."