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Tehran is ready to resume atomic talks with Washington as long as it is treated with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has stated.

Abbas Araghchi declared only diplomacy was effective, and revealed new appeals had been made by go-betweens to restart talks with the American leadership. He said Iran did not have undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to allow the global atomic watchdog to visit attacked atomic facilities for security reasons.

Walking a Difficult Path

The foreign minister is walking a challenging course since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be acting from a position of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had arisen more resilient defensively and mentally from the coordinated strike on its enrichment centers in June.

He was talking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an inalienable right to enrich uranium on home soil that it will always maintain" – the primary cause of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.

Previous Talks Abruptly Ended

The prior phases of discussions between the United States and Iran were brought to an abrupt and bitter end on 12 June when Israel, with US support, struck Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that concluded with Donald Trump claiming the sites had been destroyed. Afterward, Western states employed their privilege to reimpose global restrictions, but Iran maintains they have not had a major impact.

Perfect Agreement Proposed

Tehran representatives stated they felt they had attained a "perfect agreement" to the uranium processing matter in earlier negotiations, when it was decided an local partnership with Washington's engagement could enrich uranium. Each party would have been able to claim victory since local refinement would have persisted and the US could be confident that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely non-military.

It had not been agreed in the talks that American atomic experts could function within Iranian territory, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Diplomats stated repeatedly they had achieved a deal with the US representative the American negotiator only for the agreement to fall apart due to "opponents in the US".

Present Position

Iran's diplomats declared the partnership proposal was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the proposal could be reintroduced in various formats if negotiations reopen.

The US president last week said he had been getting signals that Iran desired to restart talks, but confidentially Tehran representatives state they are not yet obtaining consistent overtures from the United States either straightforwardly or from key regional mediators, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been criticized of inactivity in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Iran says diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.

Political Standpoint

In his speech to the conference, designed to depict the US as a hegemonic power that abuses the concept of global regulations, the foreign minister said the fortnight-long engagement demonstrated the dispute could not be ended by military means. He stated the attacks began with a US demand for an unconditional Iranian surrender and culminated with an absolute demand for a ceasefire.

Iran is convinced the initial Israeli attacks were carried out with total Washington understanding and coordination, making faith challenging to reestablish.

Dialogue Stays the Primary Resolution

The foreign minister said: "It was not Iran that had abandoned diplomacy; it was America and the European states that had always sought to enforce their desires during the discussions. Negotiations can still be alive and remains the primary answer to resolve conflicts, but its standards, regulations and tenets must be respected."

"In case they address to the citizens of Tehran with the language of respect and honor, they will receive a response in the equivalent language."

Restoration and Rebuilding

In what is characterized by Tehran representatives as the struggle of repair and rebuilding, the foreign minister said he was confident Iran's security strengths "are considerably enhanced than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We learned numerous insights from this war; we have come to know our personal limitations and the vulnerabilities of the opponent."

He stated: "We effectively endured this conflict. Our nuclear technology, which they planned to destroy, remains in place. The sites and equipment, if damaged, will be reconstructed; what is important is the resolve of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but failed to shatter. The Iranian people have become stronger, more cohesive, and more endorsing of the leadership and the nation in the face of this invasion."