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Tehran is willing to resume nuclear discussions with Washington as long as it is treated with "respect" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has stated.

Abbas Araghchi said only diplomacy was effective, and disclosed new appeals had been made by mediators to resume talks with the American leadership. He asserted Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to permit the UN nuclear inspectorate to access attacked atomic facilities for security reasons.

Navigating a Complex Course

Araghchi is navigating a difficult course since Iran does not want appear to be acting from a situation of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out stronger defensively and mentally from the Israeli-US attack on its enrichment centers in June.

He was addressing at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to enrich uranium domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the key factor of the stalemate in the previous talks.

Prior Discussions Abruptly Ended

The prior phases of talks between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and hostile conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, struck Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that ended with the American leader asserting the locations had been obliterated. Following this, EU nations exercised their privilege to reimpose global restrictions, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.

Perfect Agreement Proposed

Iran's diplomats said they felt they had attained a "ideal resolution" to the enrichment issue in prior discussions, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium 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 enrichment initiative was entirely non-military.

It had not been decided in the talks that American atomic experts could function inside Iran, but that was a natural consequence of the cooperative offer. Diplomats stated repeatedly they had secured an understanding with the US representative the US official only for the deal to fall apart due to "spoilers in Washington".

Present Position

Iran's diplomats stated the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems quite possible the suggestion could be revived in certain ways if negotiations reopen.

Trump in recent days stated he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to restart talks, but in private Iran's diplomats state they are not yet obtaining coherent offers from Washington either directly or from key regional mediators, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been accused of non-responsiveness in the wake of the US president's straightforward manner, but Tehran states negotiations is not part of a show.

Diplomatic Stance

In his address to the gathering, intended to depict the US as a controlling nation that exploits the notion of global regulations, the foreign minister declared the 12-day war revealed the conflict could not be settled by military means. He stated the strikes commenced with a American requirement for an unconditional Iranian surrender and ended with an absolute demand for a ceasefire.

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

Dialogue Continues the Ultimate Resolution

Araghchi said: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned dialogue; it was America and the western countries that had repeatedly tried to dictate their will during the discussions. Diplomacy can still be active and continues the primary answer to resolve disputes, but its requirements, rules and fundamentals must be adhered to."

"Provided that they address to the Iranian people with the approach of respect and honor, they will receive a reply in the equivalent approach."

Restoration and Recovery

In what is portrayed by Iranian officials as the struggle of restoration and rebuilding, the foreign minister stated he was confident Iran's military capacities "have significantly improved than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been reestablished. We gained many lessons from this war; we have identified our personal limitations and the vulnerabilities of the enemy."

He continued: "We managed to survive this war. Our nuclear technology, which they intended to obliterate, stays intact. The installations and gear, if damaged, will be restored; what is important is the determination of the nation of Iran and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but were unable to break. The Iranian people have become more powerful, more cohesive, and more endorsing of the administration and the nation in the wake of this assault."