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Iran is prepared to resume nuclear discussions with Washington on condition that it is handled with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's foreign minister has declared.

The Iranian diplomat said only diplomacy was effective, and disclosed new appeals had originated from go-betweens to reopen negotiations with the Trump administration. He said Iran possessed no unreported enrichment locations, and Iran was not yet able to allow the global atomic watchdog to access attacked atomic facilities for safety concerns.

Navigating a Complex Course

Araghchi is navigating a challenging course since Iran wishes not to be seen to be proceeding from a position of disadvantage, and he consistently maintained that Iran had come out stronger militarily and mentally from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material domestically that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the deadlock in the previous talks.

Prior Negotiations Unexpectedly Terminated

The earlier sessions of negotiations between the United States and Iran were ended suddenly and bitter end on 12 June when the Israeli government, with Washington's assistance, attacked Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that concluded with the American leader declaring the locations had been obliterated. Afterward, EU nations employed their right to restore UN-wide sanctions, but Iran maintains they have not had a major impact.

Perfect Agreement Offered

Iranian officials said they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, when it was decided an Iran-based consortium with Washington's engagement could refine atomic fuel. The two nations would have been able to assert triumph since domestic enrichment would have remained 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 function within Iranian territory, but that was a reasonable assumption of the cooperative offer. Representatives claimed three times they had secured an understanding with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff only for the agreement to collapse due to "detractors in America".

Existing Position

Iran's diplomats said the partnership proposal was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the suggestion could be revived in certain ways if talks restart.

The US president last week said he had been getting signals that Iran wanted to reopen negotiations, but confidentially Iranian officials say they are not yet obtaining consistent overtures from the United States either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of non-responsiveness in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran asserts dialogue is not part of a show.

Diplomatic Position

In his speech to the conference, aimed to depict the US as a dominant force that exploits the notion of international law, Araghchi said the 12-day war showed the clash could not be resolved by military means. He said the strikes commenced with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and ended with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.

Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were executed with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making confidence hard to rebuild.

Diplomacy Continues the Final Solution

The foreign minister declared: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned negotiations; it was America and the Western nations that had always tried to impose their will during the negotiations. Negotiations can still be alive and remains the final resolution to settle conflicts, but its standards, regulations and tenets must be respected."

"In case they speak to the nation of Iran with the approach of dignity and respect, they will receive a response in the identical tone."

Restoration and Rebuilding

In what is characterized by Tehran representatives as the battle of repair and reconstruction, Araghchi said he was confident Iran's defence capabilities "are much stronger than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been reestablished. We learned many lessons from this engagement; we have identified our own weaknesses and the shortcomings of the enemy."

He continued: "We effectively endured this war. Our atomic expertise, which they planned to obliterate, remains in place. The sites and gear, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is important is the determination of the Iranian people and then the national cohesion that they aimed at, but failed to break. The citizens of Tehran have developed more powerful, more cohesive, and more endorsing of the government and the state in the wake of this attack."