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Tehran is ready to reinitiate nuclear talks with Washington provided that it is treated with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has announced.

Abbas Araghchi declared only diplomacy produced results, and revealed fresh requests had originated from intermediaries to restart negotiations with the Trump administration. He asserted Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran could not yet permit the global atomic watchdog to inspect struck enrichment centers for safety concerns.

Walking a Complex Route

Araghchi is walking a difficult course since Iran does not want be seen to be acting from a stance of vulnerability, and he emphatically stated that Iran had emerged more resilient militarily and psychologically from the Israeli-US attack on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to process nuclear material on home soil that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the stalemate in the previous talks.

Earlier Talks Unexpectedly Terminated

The previous five rounds of discussions between the United States and Iran were brought to an abrupt and hostile termination on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, struck Iranian nuclear sites in a 12-day war that culminated with the US president claiming the facilities had been destroyed. Subsequently, European countries employed their right to reinstate UN-wide sanctions, but Iran maintains they have not had a major impact.

Perfect Agreement Offered

Iranian officials said they felt they had attained a "perfect agreement" to the nuclear fuel concern in earlier negotiations, when it was settled an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could enrich uranium. Each party would have been able to assert triumph since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely non-military.

It had not been settled in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could operate within Iranian territory, but that was a logical implication of the cooperative offer. Diplomats claimed repeatedly they had reached agreement with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the arrangement to fall apart due to "opponents in the US".

Existing Position

Iranian officials said the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the proposal could be reintroduced in some form if discussions restart.

The US president last week claimed he had been obtaining communications that Iran wanted to reopen negotiations, but in private Tehran representatives say they are not yet getting consistent overtures from the United States either straightforwardly or from key regional mediators, such as Qatar, Egypt, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of passivity in the aftermath of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran says negotiations is not part of a show.

Diplomatic Position

In his address to the gathering, aimed to paint the US as a controlling nation that exploits the notion of global regulations, Araghchi said the two-week conflict showed the dispute could not be settled by armed force. He stated the assaults commenced with a US demand for an complete Tehran capitulation and concluded with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.

Iran is convinced the opening assaults from Tel Aviv were mounted with complete American awareness and coordination, making faith challenging to rebuild.

Diplomacy Remains the Ultimate Answer

The foreign minister stated: "Tehran was not the one that had deserted dialogue; it was the United States and the western countries that had always attempted to impose their desires during the discussions. Dialogue can still be active and stays the ultimate solution to settle disagreements, but its criteria, regulations and tenets must be adhered to."

"In case they address to the Iranian people with the approach of dignity and respect, they will receive a response in the equivalent language."

Repair and Rebuilding

In what is described by Iranian officials as the struggle of recovery and rebuilding, the foreign minister claimed he was certain Iran's security strengths "have significantly improved than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been rebuilt. We acquired many lessons from this war; we have come to know our internal vulnerabilities and the shortcomings of the adversary."

He stated: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our nuclear technology, which they intended to obliterate, stays intact. The sites and machinery, if destroyed, will be restored; what is crucial is the will of the Iranian people and then the national cohesion that they targeted, but did not succeed to destroy. The nation of Iran have become more resilient, more cohesive, and more endorsing of the leadership and the country in the aftermath of this invasion."