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Tehran is ready to resume nuclear talks with the United States provided that it is handled with "respect" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has announced.

Abbas Araghchi said exclusively dialogue worked, and disclosed new appeals had come from intermediaries to restart discussions with the American leadership. He claimed Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to inspect bombed nuclear sites for security reasons.

Navigating a Complex Route

Araghchi is walking a complex route since Iran wishes not to be perceived to be operating from a position of disadvantage, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged more powerful defensively and psychologically from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.

He was addressing at a defense forum in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the key factor of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Previous Talks Unexpectedly Ended

The prior phases of negotiations between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with US support, attacked Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that ended with the American leader declaring the facilities had been destroyed. Afterward, EU nations employed their right to reimpose global restrictions, but Iran asserts they have not had a major impact.

Ideal Resolution Proposed

Tehran representatives said they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the uranium processing matter in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an local partnership with American involvement could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to declare success since home-based processing would have persisted and the US could be confident that Iran's nuclear programme was exclusively peaceful.

It had not been decided in the negotiations that American atomic experts could work on Iranian soil, but that was a logical implication of the partnership suggestion. Diplomats stated three times they had reached agreement with the US representative the American negotiator only for the deal to collapse due to "detractors in America".

Present Position

Tehran representatives said the partnership proposal was now withdrawn, but it seems very probable the offer could be revived in some form if talks reopen.

The American leader last week claimed he had been receiving messages that Iran sought to reopen negotiations, but in private Iran's diplomats state they are not yet receiving consistent overtures from Washington either straightforwardly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been charged of passivity in the aftermath of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran states negotiations is not part of a show.

Political Standpoint

In his address to the conference, aimed to portray the US as a controlling nation that abuses the idea of worldwide standards, Araghchi stated the 12-day war showed the clash could not be resolved by armed force. He said the attacks commenced with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and ended with an unconditional call for a ceasefire.

Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were mounted with complete American awareness and coordination, making trust hard to restore.

Dialogue Stays the Ultimate Solution

The foreign minister stated: "It was not Iran that had abandoned dialogue; it was the United States and the western countries that had repeatedly sought to dictate their desires during the discussions. Dialogue can still be active and remains the final solution to address disagreements, but its standards, rules and tenets must be adhered to."

"If they talk to the nation of Iran with the tone of dignity and respect, they will obtain a response in the equivalent language."

Restoration and Rebuilding

In what is characterized by Iranian officials as the battle of repair and rebuilding, Araghchi stated he was certain Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been rebuilt. We acquired numerous insights from this engagement; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the shortcomings of the adversary."

He added: "We successfully passed this war. Our atomic expertise, which they intended to eliminate, continues to exist. The facilities and machinery, if destroyed, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the will of the citizens of Tehran and then the national cohesion that they aimed at, but did not succeed to destroy. The Iranian people have grown more powerful, more integrated, and more backing of the leadership and the country in the wake of this invasion."