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

Abbas Araghchi said only diplomacy produced results, and disclosed new appeals had originated from intermediaries to reopen negotiations with the US government. He said Iran did not have unreported enrichment locations, and Iran was not yet able to permit the global atomic watchdog to inspect attacked atomic facilities for security reasons.

Walking a Difficult Route

Araghchi is navigating a challenging route since Iran does not want appear to be acting from a situation of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had arisen more powerful militarily and psychologically from the joint assault on its enrichment centers in June.

He was speaking at a defense forum in Tehran where he restated that Iran had "an inalienable right to process nuclear material on home soil that it will never give up" – the primary cause of the deadlock in the earlier negotiations.

Earlier Talks Suddenly Concluded

The earlier sessions of talks between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with US support, attacked Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that ended with the US president claiming the sites had been obliterated. Subsequently, Western states employed their authority to restore UN-wide sanctions, but Iran maintains they have not had a substantial consequence.

Ideal Resolution Suggested

Iranian officials said they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in prior discussions, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could refine atomic fuel. Both sides would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been agreed in the discussions that American atomic experts could operate on Iranian soil, but that was a logical implication of the partnership suggestion. Representatives stated on multiple occasions they had secured an understanding with the US representative the American negotiator only for the arrangement to collapse due to "spoilers in Washington".

Current Position

Tehran representatives declared the partnership proposal was now no longer available, but it seems highly likely the suggestion could be revived in various formats if negotiations resume.

Trump recently said he had been getting signals that Iran desired to restart talks, but confidentially Iranian officials state they are not yet receiving coherent offers from the United States either directly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been accused of passivity in the face of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Tehran states negotiations is not part of a spectacle.

Diplomatic Position

In his address to the conference, intended to portray the US as a dominant force that exploits the concept of worldwide standards, the foreign minister declared the fortnight-long engagement revealed the dispute could not be settled by military means. He said the attacks started with a Washington's ultimatum for an total Iran submission and concluded with an complete request for a ceasefire.

Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were executed with full US knowledge and coordination, making trust challenging to reestablish.

Negotiations Stays the Ultimate Solution

The foreign minister declared: "It was not Iran that had deserted diplomacy; it was the United States and the Western nations that had always tried to enforce their desires during the discussions. Dialogue can still be active and stays the ultimate solution to address conflicts, but its criteria, rules and tenets must be respected."

"Provided that they address to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of dignity and respect, they will get a response in the same tone."

Restoration and Recovery

In what is described by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of repair and rebuilding, Araghchi claimed he was confident Iran's military capacities "are much stronger than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We acquired many lessons from this engagement; we have identified our internal vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of the adversary."

He continued: "We successfully passed this war. Our atomic expertise, which they intended to destroy, continues to exist. The facilities and machinery, if destroyed, will be rebuilt; what is important is the determination of the Iranian people and then the unity of the country that they aimed at, but did not succeed to break. The Iranian people have become stronger, more united, and more supportive of the government and the state in the wake of this attack."