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Tehran is willing to resume nuclear discussions with Washington on condition that it is handled with "respect" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has announced.

The Iranian diplomat said exclusively dialogue worked, and disclosed new appeals had been made by intermediaries to reopen discussions with the American leadership. He said Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to authorize the UN nuclear inspectorate to inspect struck enrichment centers for security reasons.

Walking a Difficult Course

Araghchi is walking a challenging course since Iran does not want be perceived to be proceeding from a stance of vulnerability, and he consistently maintained that Iran had emerged more resilient militarily and emotionally from the Israeli-US attack on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.

Prior Discussions Suddenly Terminated

The prior phases of discussions between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and bitter conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with US support, attacked Iran's enrichment centers in a 12-day war that concluded with the American leader declaring the facilities had been destroyed. Afterward, European countries exercised their right to restore international penalties, but Iran asserts they have not had a significant effect.

Magic Solution Offered

Iran's diplomats said they felt they had reached a "perfect agreement" to the uranium processing matter in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an domestic cooperative with US participation could refine atomic fuel. Both sides would have been able to declare success since domestic enrichment would have persisted and the US could be assured that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely non-military.

It had not been agreed in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could operate inside Iran, but that was a reasonable assumption of the consortium proposal. Diplomats claimed on multiple occasions they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "detractors in America".

Existing Position

Iranian officials stated the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be reintroduced in various formats if talks restart.

Trump recently stated he had been getting signals that Iran sought to reopen negotiations, but privately Iranian officials claim they are not yet getting coherent offers from America either explicitly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been criticized of non-responsiveness in the wake of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Tehran says diplomacy is not part of a spectacle.

Political Position

In his remarks to the forum, designed to portray the US as a controlling nation that exploits the concept of global regulations, Araghchi declared the fortnight-long engagement showed the conflict could not be ended by armed force. He asserted the strikes started with a American requirement for an total Iran submission and ended with an complete request for a ceasefire.

Iran is assured the initial Israeli attacks were executed with full US knowledge and collaboration, making confidence challenging to rebuild.

Negotiations Remains the Ultimate Answer

Araghchi said: "It was not Iran that had fled diplomacy; it was the United States and the western countries that had consistently attempted to dictate their will during the talks. Negotiations can still be alive and remains the primary answer to address disputes, but its requirements, guidelines and principles must be respected."

"If they speak to the citizens of Tehran with the approach of dignity and honor, they will get a reply in the equivalent language."

Repair and Recovery

In what is described by Tehran representatives as the battle of recovery and reconstruction, the foreign minister said he was certain Iran's security strengths "are considerably enhanced than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been reestablished. We gained numerous insights from this conflict; we have identified our personal limitations and the shortcomings of the adversary."

He continued: "We effectively endured this engagement. Our atomic expertise, which they intended to destroy, continues to exist. The installations and gear, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is important is the will of the nation of Iran and then the national cohesion that they aimed at, but failed to destroy. The citizens of Tehran have developed more resilient, more cohesive, and more backing of the leadership and the state in the wake of this attack."