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Iran is willing to restart atomic discussions with Washington as long as it is handled with "respect" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has declared.

Abbas Araghchi said only diplomacy produced results, and revealed recent overtures had originated from mediators to restart talks with the American leadership. He said Iran possessed no undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran had not yet reached a point to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to access bombed nuclear sites for safety concerns.

Walking a Complex Path

The foreign minister is treading a complex course since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be operating from a position of disadvantage, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had arisen stronger defensively and psychologically from the coordinated strike on its atomic facilities in June.

He was speaking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to enrich uranium within its borders that it will always maintain" – the main reason of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.

Previous Discussions Abruptly Concluded

The prior phases of talks between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious end on 12 June when the Israeli government, with Washington's assistance, attacked Iranian nuclear sites in a 12-day war that culminated with the US president claiming the locations had been eliminated. Afterward, Western states used their privilege to reimpose international penalties, but Iran maintains they have not had a major impact.

Ideal Resolution Proposed

Tehran representatives said they felt they had achieved a "perfect agreement" to the nuclear fuel concern in prior discussions, when it was settled an local partnership with American involvement could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to declare success since local refinement would have persisted and the US could be certain that Iran's enrichment initiative was exclusively peaceful.

It had not been settled in the talks that US nuclear scientists could work inside Iran, but that was a logical implication of the consortium proposal. Diplomats asserted repeatedly they had achieved a deal with Trump's special envoy the American negotiator only for the agreement to disintegrate due to "opponents in the US".

Existing Position

Iran's diplomats said the cooperative arrangement was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the suggestion could be reintroduced in certain ways if talks reopen.

The American leader in recent days said he had been getting signals that Iran wanted to reopen negotiations, but in private Iran's diplomats claim they are not yet obtaining clear proposals from the United States either straightforwardly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of non-responsiveness in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran says dialogue is not part of a performance.

Diplomatic Standpoint

In his address to the conference, aimed to portray the US as a hegemonic power that abuses the notion of international law, Araghchi said the 12-day war revealed the dispute could not be settled by military means. He asserted the strikes commenced with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an complete request for a halt to hostilities.

Iran is convinced the first strikes by Israel were carried out with full US knowledge and collaboration, making confidence hard to reestablish.

Dialogue Stays the Ultimate Solution

Araghchi declared: "Tehran was not the one that had deserted dialogue; it was America and the European states that had always tried to enforce their demands during the talks. Negotiations can still be active and remains the primary answer to settle disputes, but its standards, regulations and principles must be adhered to."

"If they speak to the Iranian people with the approach of dignity and honor, they will receive a reply in the same tone."

Restoration and Recovery

In what is described by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of repair and reconstruction, Araghchi said he was assured Iran's defence capabilities "are considerably enhanced than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been reestablished. We acquired numerous insights from this engagement; we have come to know our internal vulnerabilities and the weaknesses of the enemy."

He continued: "We successfully passed this engagement. Our atomic expertise, which they aimed to eliminate, stays intact. The installations and gear, if eliminated, will be rebuilt; what is important is the will of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but did not succeed to break. The nation of Iran have become more resilient, more integrated, and more backing of the administration and the country in the wake of this invasion."