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Iran is prepared to resume atomic negotiations with Washington provided that it is treated with "respect" and "respect", Tehran's foreign minister has announced.

Abbas Araghchi stated exclusively dialogue produced results, and disclosed recent overtures had been made by mediators to resume negotiations with the US government. He claimed Iran had zero secret atomic facilities, and Iran had not yet reached a point to authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to visit struck enrichment centers for protective measures.

Walking a Difficult Path

Araghchi is navigating a difficult route since Iran does not want be seen to be proceeding from a situation of disadvantage, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged more resilient defensively and mentally from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to enrich uranium domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the key factor of the stalemate in the previous talks.

Previous Talks Unexpectedly Terminated

The prior phases of discussions between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious termination on 12 June when Israel, with US support, targeted Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that concluded with the American leader claiming the sites had been eliminated. Subsequently, Western states exercised their privilege to restore international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a substantial consequence.

Magic Solution Proposed

Iran's diplomats stated they felt they had achieved a "perfect agreement" to the nuclear fuel concern in previous talks, when it was decided an Iran-based consortium with Washington's engagement could process nuclear material. Each party would have been able to assert triumph since local refinement would have remained and the US could be confident that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been decided in the talks that Washington's technical specialists could operate inside Iran, but that was a logical implication of the cooperative offer. Representatives asserted three times they had reached agreement with the US representative the American negotiator only for the arrangement to collapse due to "detractors in America".

Present Position

Iran's diplomats said the cooperative arrangement was now off the table, but it seems very probable the suggestion could be resurrected in some form if talks restart.

The American leader recently stated he had been obtaining communications that Iran wanted to resume discussions, but in private Tehran representatives state they are not yet receiving coherent offers from Washington either explicitly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been criticized of inactivity in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran says dialogue is not part of a spectacle.

Political Stance

In his address to the forum, aimed to depict the US as a controlling nation that exploits the concept of global regulations, Araghchi stated the fortnight-long engagement revealed the clash could not be settled by combat operations. He asserted the strikes commenced with a US demand for an total Iran submission 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 trust difficult to restore.

Dialogue Continues the Ultimate Answer

The foreign minister said: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned negotiations; it was America and the Western nations that had always sought to dictate their desires during the discussions. Dialogue can still be viable and continues the final resolution to address conflicts, but its criteria, regulations and principles must be respected."

"Provided that they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of respect and honor, they will get a response in the equivalent approach."

Restoration and Recovery

In what is portrayed by Iranian officials as the struggle of repair and recovery, Araghchi claimed he was assured Iran's security strengths "are considerably enhanced than before 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been reestablished. We acquired many lessons from this conflict; we have discovered our own weaknesses and the shortcomings of the opponent."

He continued: "We successfully passed this engagement. Our nuclear technology, which they planned to destroy, stays intact. The facilities and gear, if destroyed, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the resolve of the citizens of Tehran and then the national cohesion that they targeted, but failed to shatter. The Iranian people have grown stronger, more cohesive, and more supportive of the administration and the state in the wake of this invasion."