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Tehran is willing to reinitiate nuclear negotiations with the United States on condition that it is handled with "dignity" and "honor", Tehran's top diplomat has stated.

Abbas Araghchi said exclusively dialogue produced results, and revealed new appeals had been made by intermediaries to resume discussions with the Trump administration. He said Iran possessed no secret atomic facilities, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to inspect bombed nuclear sites for protective measures.

Walking a Difficult Route

The foreign minister is navigating a difficult route since Iran does not want be seen to be operating from a situation of weakness, and he consistently maintained that Iran had arisen more powerful militarily and emotionally from the Israeli-US attack on its atomic facilities in June.

He was speaking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to process nuclear material within its borders that it will never give up" – the key factor of the deadlock in the previous talks.

Previous Talks Unexpectedly Ended

The previous five rounds of negotiations between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with US support, struck Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that concluded with Donald Trump asserting the facilities had been obliterated. Subsequently, European countries exercised their privilege to reinstate global restrictions, but Iran asserts they have not had a significant effect.

Magic Solution Proposed

Tehran representatives stated they felt they had reached a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an domestic cooperative with American involvement could refine atomic fuel. Each party would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have persisted and the US could be certain that Iran's nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been decided in the talks that US nuclear scientists could function within Iranian territory, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Representatives stated repeatedly they had secured an understanding with Washington's diplomat the American negotiator only for the deal to collapse due to "opponents in the US".

Existing Position

Iran's diplomats stated the partnership proposal was now withdrawn, but it seems very probable the suggestion could be resurrected in some form if negotiations restart.

The US president in recent days stated he had been receiving messages that Iran wanted to restart talks, but privately Tehran representatives claim they are not yet getting coherent offers from Washington either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been accused of passivity in the aftermath of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran states diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.

Negotiating Stance

In his remarks to the forum, designed to depict the US as a dominant force that exploits the concept of international law, Araghchi stated the two-week conflict demonstrated the dispute could not be resolved by combat operations. He asserted the attacks started with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and ended 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 restore.

Negotiations Continues the Primary Answer

The foreign minister declared: "It was not Iran that had abandoned diplomacy; it was America and the western countries that had repeatedly tried to dictate their will during the discussions. Diplomacy can still be active and stays the ultimate answer to settle disputes, but its standards, guidelines and tenets must be adhered to."

"Provided that they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of dignity and honor, they will receive a answer in the equivalent approach."

Recovery and Rebuilding

In what is portrayed by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of recovery and reconstruction, the foreign minister said he was certain Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been rebuilt. We learned multiple understandings from this conflict; we have identified our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the opponent."

He added: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our atomic expertise, which they intended to destroy, remains in place. The facilities and equipment, if damaged, will be reconstructed; what is important is the determination of the Iranian people and then the national cohesion that they aimed at, but did not succeed to shatter. The nation of Iran have grown more powerful, more integrated, and more supportive of the leadership and the nation in the wake of this invasion."