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Iran is prepared to restart nuclear discussions with Washington as long as it is handled with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has stated.

The Iranian diplomat said exclusively dialogue worked, and revealed new appeals had been made by intermediaries to resume negotiations with the US government. He asserted Iran did not have secret atomic facilities, and Iran could not yet permit the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit struck enrichment centers for security reasons.

Walking a Difficult Path

Araghchi is walking a complex route since Iran does not want be seen to be proceeding from a situation of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out more powerful defensively and mentally from the coordinated strike on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an inalienable right to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will always maintain" – the main reason of the stalemate in the previous talks.

Previous Talks Suddenly Concluded

The earlier sessions of discussions between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, attacked Iranian nuclear sites in a two-week conflict that ended with the US president asserting the sites had been eliminated. Afterward, European countries employed their authority to restore global restrictions, but Iran asserts they have not had a substantial consequence.

Perfect Agreement Suggested

Iranian officials claimed they felt they had attained a "ideal resolution" to the nuclear fuel concern in previous talks, when it was agreed 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 confident that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been settled in the discussions that US nuclear scientists could operate inside Iran, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Representatives stated repeatedly they had achieved a deal with the US representative Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to collapse due to "spoilers in Washington".

Existing Position

Iranian officials said the partnership proposal was now no longer available, but it seems highly likely the suggestion could be reintroduced in some form if negotiations reopen.

The American leader last week claimed he had been getting signals that Iran desired to restart talks, but privately Iranian officials claim they are not yet obtaining coherent offers from America either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been criticized of inactivity in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran states dialogue is not part of a spectacle.

Negotiating Stance

In his remarks to the conference, designed to portray the US as a hegemonic power that abuses the idea of international law, the foreign minister said the 12-day war revealed the dispute could not be resolved by armed force. He said the assaults began with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and ended with an complete request for a ceasefire.

Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were carried out with full US knowledge and coordination, making faith hard to reestablish.

Dialogue Remains the Primary Resolution

The foreign minister declared: "It was not Iran that had deserted negotiations; it was the United States and the Western nations that had repeatedly tried to enforce their demands during the talks. Dialogue can still be viable and stays the final resolution to settle disputes, but its criteria, guidelines and fundamentals must be adhered to."

"If they address to the Iranian people with the language of dignity and respect, they will obtain a response in the same tone."

Repair and Rebuilding

In what is characterized by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of restoration and rebuilding, the foreign minister stated he was certain Iran's defence capabilities "are much stronger than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been restored. We gained numerous insights from this war; we have come to know our personal limitations and the vulnerabilities of the opponent."

He continued: "We managed to survive this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they planned to destroy, remains in place. The sites and equipment, if destroyed, will be restored; what is crucial is the determination of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but failed to break. The citizens of Tehran have grown more resilient, more united, and more endorsing of the leadership and the nation in the face of this invasion."