🔗 Share this article Iran Says It Could Return to US Nuclear Negotiations if Handled with 'Dignity' and 'Honor' Tehran is ready to restart nuclear talks with Washington provided that it is handled with "dignity" and "respect", Tehran's foreign minister has declared. The Iranian diplomat stated only diplomacy was effective, and disclosed new appeals had been made by mediators to reopen negotiations with the Trump administration. He asserted Iran had zero unreported enrichment locations, and Iran could not yet permit the global atomic watchdog to access attacked atomic facilities for protective measures. Navigating a Difficult Route The foreign minister is navigating a difficult course since Iran does not want be seen to be acting from a stance of disadvantage, and he emphatically stated that Iran had come out more powerful militarily and emotionally from the Israeli-US attack on its atomic facilities in June. He was addressing at a security conference in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material domestically that it will always maintain" – the key factor of the impasse in the prior discussions. Previous Negotiations Suddenly Concluded The previous five rounds of talks between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, attacked Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that concluded with the US president claiming the facilities had been eliminated. Subsequently, Western states employed their right to reinstate international penalties, but Iran maintains they have not had a significant effect. Perfect Agreement Proposed Iranian officials stated they felt they had achieved a "perfect agreement" to the uranium processing matter in earlier negotiations, when it was decided an local partnership with US participation could process nuclear material. Both sides would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have persisted and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was exclusively peaceful. It had not been settled in the discussions that American atomic experts could work on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the consortium proposal. Representatives claimed on multiple occasions they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the deal to collapse due to "detractors in America". Existing Situation Tehran representatives stated the cooperative arrangement was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the suggestion could be revived in various formats if negotiations reopen. The US president recently said he had been getting signals that Iran desired to reopen negotiations, but confidentially Tehran representatives say they are not yet getting consistent overtures from Washington either directly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, Egypt, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been accused of passivity in the face of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran states diplomacy is not part of a show. Diplomatic Stance In his speech to the forum, intended to portray the US as a dominant force that abuses the concept of global regulations, Araghchi declared the fortnight-long engagement showed the conflict could not be settled by combat operations. He asserted the strikes started with a US demand for an unconditional Iranian surrender and culminated with an unconditional call for a truce. Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were executed with total Washington understanding and coordination, making confidence difficult to rebuild. Dialogue Continues the Primary Resolution The foreign minister stated: "It was not Iran that had fled negotiations; it was the United States and the European states that had repeatedly sought to enforce their desires during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be active and continues the final solution to settle disputes, but its requirements, rules and principles must be adhered to." "If they speak to the nation of Iran with the approach of respect and respect, they will get a reply in the equivalent tone." Recovery and Rebuilding In what is described by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of repair and recovery, the foreign minister stated he was assured Iran's military capacities "have significantly improved than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been restored. We learned multiple understandings from this war; we have identified our personal limitations and the shortcomings of the opponent." He continued: "We effectively endured this engagement. Our atomic expertise, which they intended to destroy, stays intact. The installations and equipment, if eliminated, will be reconstructed; what is important is the will of the Iranian people and then the social solidarity that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to shatter. The Iranian people have grown more resilient, more integrated, and more endorsing of the government and the state in the wake of this assault."