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Iran is willing to reinitiate nuclear talks with the United States as long as it is handled with "dignity" and "respect", Tehran's top diplomat has announced.

Abbas Araghchi said only diplomacy was effective, and revealed new appeals had been made by go-betweens to restart negotiations with the Trump administration. He claimed Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Iran was not yet able to authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to visit struck enrichment centers for protective measures.

Navigating a Complex Path

Araghchi is navigating a complex path since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be acting from a stance of disadvantage, and he consistently maintained that Iran had emerged more resilient militarily and psychologically from the joint assault on its nuclear sites in June.

He was speaking 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 stalemate in the earlier negotiations.

Prior Negotiations Suddenly Terminated

The earlier sessions of discussions between the United States and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and hostile end on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, attacked Iranian nuclear sites in a two-week conflict that ended with the US president claiming the locations had been eliminated. Subsequently, European countries exercised their right to reimpose international penalties, but Iran maintains they have not had a substantial consequence.

Perfect Agreement Suggested

Iran's diplomats claimed they felt they had reached a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in earlier negotiations, when it was decided an domestic cooperative with US participation could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to declare success since local refinement would have persisted and the US could be assured that Iran's nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been decided in the negotiations that Washington's technical specialists could operate on Iranian soil, but that was a logical implication of the cooperative offer. Diplomats asserted repeatedly they had reached agreement with the US representative Steve Witkoff only for the deal to fall apart due to "spoilers in Washington".

Existing Position

Iran's diplomats stated the cooperative arrangement was now withdrawn, but it seems highly likely the offer could be resurrected in various formats if discussions restart.

Trump recently claimed he had been getting signals that Iran sought to resume discussions, but confidentially Tehran representatives claim they are not yet obtaining coherent offers from America either directly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, Egypt, the Omani authorities and Saudi Arabia. The Iran's state department has been charged of passivity in the wake of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran asserts diplomacy is not part of a performance.

Negotiating Stance

In his remarks to the forum, intended to portray the US as a controlling nation that exploits the concept of worldwide standards, the foreign minister said the 12-day war revealed the clash could not be resolved by armed force. He stated the assaults began with a American requirement for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an unconditional call for a truce.

Iran is assured the initial Israeli attacks were executed with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making confidence hard to restore.

Dialogue Continues the Ultimate Answer

The foreign minister declared: "It was not Iran that had deserted negotiations; it was the United States and the European states that had repeatedly sought to impose their demands during the discussions. Diplomacy can still be alive and continues the final answer to address disagreements, but its requirements, regulations and fundamentals must be followed."

"In case they speak to the Iranian people with the language of dignity and honor, they will receive a response in the identical tone."

Recovery and Rebuilding

In what is described by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of restoration and rebuilding, Araghchi said he was confident Iran's security strengths "are considerably enhanced than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been reestablished. We gained many lessons from this engagement; we have discovered our internal vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of the opponent."

He continued: "We effectively endured this engagement. Our nuclear technology, which they intended to obliterate, remains in place. The facilities and machinery, if damaged, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the determination of the Iranian people and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but did not succeed to shatter. The citizens of Tehran have developed stronger, more integrated, and more backing of the leadership and the country in the face of this invasion."