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Iran is willing to resume atomic talks with Washington on condition that it is approached with "respect" and "respect", Tehran's top diplomat has announced.

The Iranian diplomat said only diplomacy was effective, and shared recent overtures had originated from go-betweens to restart negotiations with the American leadership. He claimed Iran did not have secret atomic facilities, and Iran could not yet allow the global atomic watchdog to access bombed nuclear sites for safety concerns.

Navigating a Challenging Path

The foreign minister is walking a complex course since Iran aims to avoid be seen to be operating from a situation of disadvantage, and he consistently maintained that Iran had emerged more resilient in military terms and emotionally from the joint assault on its enrichment centers in June.

He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to refine atomic fuel within its borders that it will perpetually retain" – the primary cause of the stalemate in the previous talks.

Earlier Discussions Unexpectedly Terminated

The earlier sessions of discussions between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, targeted Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that concluded with the US president declaring the sites had been destroyed. Following this, Western states exercised their authority to restore international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a substantial consequence.

Ideal Resolution Offered

Iranian officials stated they felt they had reached a "perfect agreement" to the uranium processing matter in previous talks, when it was settled an Iran-based consortium with US participation could process nuclear material. Both sides would have been able to declare success since home-based processing would have remained and the US could be certain that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely non-military.

It had not been decided in the discussions that US nuclear scientists could work inside Iran, but that was a reasonable assumption of the cooperative offer. Diplomats claimed repeatedly they had achieved a deal with the US representative the US official only for the arrangement to collapse due to "spoilers in Washington".

Existing Position

Iranian officials said the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems very probable the offer could be resurrected in various formats if talks restart.

The US president recently stated he had been obtaining communications that Iran desired to reopen negotiations, but privately Tehran representatives say they are not yet receiving clear proposals from the United States either directly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of inactivity in the wake of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran asserts diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.

Negotiating Position

In his remarks to the conference, intended to portray the US as a controlling nation that exploits the concept of international law, the foreign minister said the fortnight-long engagement demonstrated the conflict could not be ended by combat operations. He stated the assaults began with a Washington's ultimatum for an unconditional Iranian surrender and culminated with an complete request for a ceasefire.

Iran is certain the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were carried out with complete American awareness and cooperation, making trust difficult to rebuild.

Negotiations Stays the Final Answer

Araghchi said: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned negotiations; it was the United States and the western countries that had repeatedly sought to enforce their demands during the discussions. Negotiations can still be active and stays the ultimate solution to address disputes, but its standards, guidelines and principles must be followed."

"In case they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the approach of respect and honor, they will get a response in the identical approach."

Repair and Rebuilding

In what is portrayed by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of restoration and recovery, the foreign minister claimed he was certain Iran's security strengths "are much stronger than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been rebuilt. We acquired numerous insights from this war; we have discovered our own weaknesses and the shortcomings of the opponent."

He continued: "We managed to survive this conflict. Our nuclear technology, which they planned to eliminate, remains in place. The facilities and gear, if eliminated, will be rebuilt; what is important is the will of the Iranian people and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but were unable to destroy. The citizens of Tehran have become more powerful, more integrated, and more backing of the government and the nation in the wake of this assault."