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Tehran is prepared to reinitiate atomic discussions with the United States on condition that it is approached with "respect" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has announced.

The Iranian diplomat declared only diplomacy worked, and shared recent overtures had been made by intermediaries to resume talks with the US government. He said Iran had zero secret atomic facilities, and Tehran could not yet permit the UN nuclear inspectorate to visit struck enrichment centers for protective measures.

Navigating a Difficult Course

Araghchi is walking a difficult route since Iran wishes not to appear to be acting from a stance of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had arisen stronger militarily and mentally from the Israeli-US attack on its enrichment centers in June.

He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an inalienable right to enrich uranium within its borders that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Earlier Discussions Suddenly Ended

The earlier sessions of discussions between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and acrimonious end on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, attacked Iranian nuclear sites in a two-week conflict that culminated with the US president declaring the facilities had been eliminated. Subsequently, European countries employed their authority to reinstate global restrictions, but Iran asserts they have not had a significant effect.

Perfect Agreement Proposed

Iranian officials claimed they felt they had achieved a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in prior discussions, when it was settled an local partnership with US participation could enrich uranium. Each party would have been able to assert triumph since local refinement would have continued and the US could be certain that Iran's atomic project was exclusively peaceful.

It had not been decided in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could function on Iranian soil, but that was a reasonable assumption of the cooperative offer. Officials claimed repeatedly they had reached agreement with Washington's diplomat the American negotiator only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "spoilers in Washington".

Current Situation

Iran's diplomats stated the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems quite possible the suggestion could be resurrected in some form if negotiations restart.

The American leader last week said he had been receiving messages that Iran sought to resume discussions, but confidentially Tehran representatives say they are not yet obtaining coherent offers from America either straightforwardly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been criticized of non-responsiveness in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran says diplomacy is not part of a show.

Diplomatic Stance

In his remarks to the conference, aimed to paint the US as a controlling nation that exploits the concept of global regulations, the foreign minister declared the two-week conflict demonstrated the conflict could not be resolved by armed force. He stated the strikes started with a US demand for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an absolute demand for a ceasefire.

Iran is certain the initial Israeli attacks were carried out with complete American awareness and cooperation, making faith hard to restore.

Dialogue Continues the Primary Answer

The foreign minister said: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned diplomacy; it was the United States and the western countries that had repeatedly tried to impose their will during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be alive and remains the ultimate resolution to settle disagreements, but its standards, rules and principles must be followed."

"If they address to the nation of Iran with the language of dignity and honor, they will get a response in the same approach."

Recovery and Reconstruction

In what is characterized by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of repair and reconstruction, Araghchi said he was certain Iran's security strengths "have significantly improved than before 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been reestablished. We acquired many lessons from this conflict; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the opponent."

He stated: "We successfully passed this engagement. Our atomic expertise, which they aimed to destroy, stays intact. The installations and machinery, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is essential is the determination of the citizens of Tehran and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but were unable to destroy. The Iranian people have become more resilient, more integrated, and more supportive of the leadership and the nation in the wake of this assault."