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Tehran is ready to resume atomic talks with the United States as long as it is treated with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has stated.

The Iranian diplomat said only diplomacy was effective, and disclosed recent overtures had been made by intermediaries to reopen negotiations with the Trump administration. He said Iran possessed no undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran was not yet able to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit bombed nuclear sites for protective measures.

Walking a Challenging Path

Araghchi is treading a challenging path since Iran aims to avoid be seen to be operating from a stance of disadvantage, and he consistently maintained that Iran had arisen more resilient in military terms and psychologically from the joint assault on its nuclear sites in June.

He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to process nuclear material domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the main reason of the impasse in the previous talks.

Prior Talks Suddenly Ended

The prior phases of discussions between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious termination on 12 June when Israel, with US support, targeted Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that concluded with the US president asserting the locations had been eliminated. Subsequently, EU nations employed their right to reinstate global restrictions, but Iran asserts they have not had a major impact.

Perfect Agreement Suggested

Iranian officials stated they felt they had attained a "ideal resolution" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, when it was agreed an local partnership with US participation could process nuclear material. The two nations would have been able to declare success since home-based processing would have continued and the US could be confident that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been agreed in the talks that US nuclear scientists could work on Iranian soil, but that was a reasonable assumption of the consortium proposal. Diplomats claimed three times they had reached agreement with the US representative Steve Witkoff only for the deal to disintegrate due to "opponents in the US".

Current Position

Iranian officials stated the consortium offer was now no longer available, but it seems quite possible the suggestion could be reintroduced in certain ways if talks reopen.

Trump recently stated he had been receiving messages that Iran wanted to restart talks, but confidentially Iranian officials state they are not yet obtaining clear proposals from Washington either directly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been criticized of inactivity in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Iran says negotiations is not part of a show.

Negotiating Position

In his address to the conference, aimed to depict the US as a dominant force that misuses the idea of international law, the foreign minister stated the 12-day war showed the dispute could not be resolved by military means. He asserted the assaults commenced with a American requirement for an unconditional Iranian surrender and ended with an unconditional call for a truce.

Iran is assured the initial Israeli attacks were mounted with full US knowledge and cooperation, making confidence challenging to reestablish.

Negotiations Continues the Primary Answer

The foreign minister stated: "It was not Iran that had abandoned dialogue; it was the United States and the western countries that had repeatedly attempted to impose their demands during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be viable and stays the final solution to address disputes, but its criteria, regulations and principles must be adhered to."

"In case they talk to the Iranian people with the language of dignity and honor, they will get a reply in the identical approach."

Repair and Reconstruction

In what is portrayed by Iran's diplomats as the battle of recovery and reconstruction, the foreign minister stated he was assured Iran's defence capabilities "have significantly improved than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We acquired many lessons from this war; we have come to know our personal limitations and the shortcomings of the adversary."

He added: "We successfully passed this engagement. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to eliminate, remains in place. The sites and machinery, if destroyed, will be restored; what is essential is the determination of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but failed to destroy. The nation of Iran have developed more resilient, more cohesive, and more supportive of the leadership and the state in the face of this invasion."