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Iran is willing to reinitiate nuclear talks with Washington as long as it is handled with "respect" and "respect", Tehran's foreign minister has stated.

The Iranian diplomat declared solely negotiations was effective, and revealed fresh requests had been made by go-betweens to reopen discussions with the American leadership. He claimed Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran could not yet permit the International Atomic Energy Agency to access bombed nuclear sites for protective measures.

Walking a Difficult Route

Araghchi is navigating a challenging course since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be operating from a position of vulnerability, and he consistently maintained that Iran had come out more resilient in military terms and emotionally from the Israeli-US attack on its atomic facilities in June.

He was addressing at a security conference in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to refine atomic fuel on home soil that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the deadlock in the previous talks.

Prior Negotiations Suddenly Ended

The previous five rounds of discussions between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and hostile end on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, struck Iranian nuclear sites in a 12-day war that culminated with Donald Trump asserting the locations had been destroyed. Following this, Western states employed their privilege to reinstate international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a substantial consequence.

Perfect Agreement Offered

Iranian officials claimed they felt they had achieved a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, 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 continued and the US could be assured that Iran's nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been agreed in the talks that American atomic experts could operate on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the consortium proposal. Representatives claimed on multiple occasions they had secured an understanding with the US representative Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to collapse due to "opponents in the US".

Existing Position

Iranian officials said the partnership proposal was now off the table, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be revived in certain ways if discussions reopen.

The US president in recent days said he had been obtaining communications that Iran wanted to restart talks, but in private Tehran representatives claim they are not yet obtaining consistent overtures from Washington either directly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of inactivity in the wake of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran says diplomacy is not part of a show.

Political Standpoint

In his address to the conference, aimed to paint the US as a controlling nation that abuses the concept of international law, the foreign minister said the 12-day war demonstrated the dispute could not be resolved by military means. He asserted the attacks started with a American requirement for an unconditional Iranian surrender and concluded with an complete request for a ceasefire.

Iran is assured the initial Israeli attacks were carried out with full US knowledge and coordination, making confidence difficult to reestablish.

Diplomacy Continues the Ultimate Solution

Araghchi declared: "It was not Iran that had fled negotiations; it was the United States and the European states that had consistently tried to impose their demands during the talks. Diplomacy can still be viable and remains the final answer to resolve disagreements, but its standards, regulations and tenets must be adhered to."

"In case they speak to the Iranian people with the language of dignity and honor, they will get a reply in the equivalent tone."

Repair and Rebuilding

In what is portrayed by Tehran representatives as the conflict of restoration and rebuilding, Araghchi stated he was confident Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We learned many lessons from this conflict; we have discovered our internal vulnerabilities and the weaknesses of the opponent."

He stated: "We managed to survive this war. Our nuclear technology, which they aimed to eliminate, stays intact. The installations and machinery, if destroyed, will be rebuilt; what is important is the determination of the nation of Iran and then the national cohesion that they aimed at, but were unable to destroy. The Iranian people have grown more resilient, more cohesive, and more endorsing of the government and the country in the wake of this assault."