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Iran is prepared to resume nuclear discussions with Washington as long as it is handled with "respect" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has announced.

The Iranian diplomat said only diplomacy produced results, and shared fresh requests had been made by mediators to resume discussions with the Trump administration. He said Iran did not have undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran had not yet reached a point to allow the UN nuclear inspectorate to visit struck enrichment centers for security reasons.

Walking a Difficult Path

Araghchi is treading a complex path since Iran wishes not to appear to be proceeding from a stance of disadvantage, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had arisen stronger in military terms and mentally from the joint assault on its enrichment centers in June.

He was talking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to process nuclear material domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the primary cause of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.

Earlier Talks Unexpectedly Concluded

The earlier sessions of discussions between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, targeted Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that culminated with Donald Trump claiming the sites had been eliminated. Subsequently, EU nations used their authority to reinstate UN-wide sanctions, but Iran maintains they have not had a major impact.

Perfect Agreement Suggested

Iranian officials claimed they felt they had achieved a "ideal resolution" to the nuclear fuel concern in previous talks, when it was settled an domestic cooperative with American involvement could refine atomic fuel. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since local refinement would have remained and the US could be confident that Iran's atomic project was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been decided in the talks that US nuclear scientists could operate inside Iran, but that was a logical implication of the consortium proposal. Representatives claimed repeatedly they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the deal to disintegrate due to "opponents in the US".

Existing Situation

Iranian officials stated the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems very probable the proposal could be revived in certain ways if discussions reopen.

The American leader in recent days claimed he had been obtaining communications that Iran wanted to restart talks, but in private Iranian officials state they are not yet receiving coherent offers from America either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of inactivity in the face of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Tehran states negotiations is not part of a performance.

Diplomatic Stance

In his speech to the gathering, aimed to paint the US as a hegemonic power that exploits the notion of global regulations, Araghchi stated the 12-day war showed the clash could not be ended by military means. He said the assaults began with a US demand for an total Iran submission and ended with an absolute demand for a truce.

Iran is certain the first strikes by Israel were executed with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making trust difficult to restore.

Negotiations Remains the Primary Solution

Araghchi declared: "It was not Iran that had abandoned diplomacy; it was America and the European states that had always tried to impose their demands during the discussions. Negotiations can still be viable and remains the ultimate resolution to address conflicts, but its requirements, rules and fundamentals must be respected."

"Provided that they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of respect and honor, they will get a response in the equivalent tone."

Restoration and Rebuilding

In what is characterized by Iran's diplomats as the conflict of repair and reconstruction, Araghchi stated he was confident Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We acquired numerous insights from this war; we have come to know our personal limitations and the shortcomings of the opponent."

He continued: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our atomic expertise, which they aimed to obliterate, continues to exist. The sites and gear, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is crucial is the determination of the citizens of Tehran and then the national cohesion that they aimed at, but did not succeed to break. The Iranian people have grown more powerful, more cohesive, and more endorsing of the leadership and the state in the aftermath of this assault."