Tehran Says It Could Resume American Atomic Negotiations if Approached with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Tehran is prepared to restart nuclear discussions with the United States on condition that it is approached with "respect" and "respect", Tehran's foreign minister has declared.
The Iranian diplomat declared only diplomacy worked, and shared fresh requests had been made by mediators to resume discussions with the American leadership. He asserted Iran possessed no undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran could not yet allow the UN nuclear inspectorate to visit attacked atomic facilities for security reasons.
Walking a Challenging Route
The foreign minister is walking a challenging route since Iran wishes not to appear to be proceeding from a position of weakness, and he consistently maintained that Iran had emerged more resilient militarily and emotionally from the Israeli-US attack on its enrichment centers in June.
He was speaking at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the main reason of the stalemate in the prior discussions.
Earlier Discussions Unexpectedly Ended
The previous five rounds of discussions between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and hostile termination on 12 June when Israel, with US support, attacked Iran's enrichment centers in a two-week conflict that concluded with the US president claiming the facilities had been eliminated. Afterward, Western states employed their privilege to reimpose global restrictions, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.
Perfect Agreement Suggested
Iran's diplomats stated they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the nuclear fuel concern in prior discussions, when it was decided an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could process nuclear material. Each party would have been able to claim victory since local refinement would have continued and the US could be certain that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.
It had not been decided in the talks that US nuclear scientists could work on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Diplomats stated repeatedly they had reached agreement with Washington's diplomat the American negotiator only for the agreement to fall apart due to "opponents in the US".
Existing Situation
Iranian officials declared the consortium offer was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the proposal could be reintroduced in certain ways if negotiations reopen.
The US president last week stated he had been getting signals that Iran desired to resume discussions, but confidentially Tehran representatives claim they are not yet obtaining clear proposals from America either straightforwardly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been criticized of inactivity in the wake of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran says negotiations is not part of a show.
Diplomatic Position
In his speech to the gathering, designed to depict the US as a hegemonic power that exploits the idea of worldwide standards, the foreign minister said the 12-day war demonstrated the dispute could not be ended by combat operations. He stated the attacks began with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and concluded with an unconditional call for a ceasefire.
Iran is convinced the initial Israeli attacks were executed with full US knowledge and cooperation, making confidence difficult to rebuild.
Dialogue Remains the Ultimate Solution
The foreign minister declared: "It was not Iran that had deserted diplomacy; it was America and the Western nations that had repeatedly sought to enforce their desires during the talks. Dialogue can still be alive and continues the ultimate resolution to resolve disagreements, but its standards, rules and principles must be adhered to."
"Provided that they talk to the nation of Iran with the approach of respect and honor, they will get a answer in the equivalent language."
Recovery and Rebuilding
In what is characterized by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of restoration and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was certain Iran's security strengths "are considerably enhanced than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We learned numerous insights from this war; we have discovered our personal limitations and the weaknesses of the opponent."
He stated: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to eliminate, remains in place. The installations and gear, if destroyed, will be rebuilt; what is crucial is the resolve of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to shatter. The Iranian people have become more resilient, more integrated, and more backing of the leadership and the state in the wake of this attack."