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Iran is ready to restart nuclear discussions with the United States on condition that it is treated with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has stated.

The Iranian diplomat stated only diplomacy was effective, and disclosed fresh requests had been made by go-betweens to restart negotiations with the US government. He said Iran possessed no secret atomic facilities, and Iran had not yet reached a point to authorize the global atomic watchdog to access struck enrichment centers for safety concerns.

Walking a Complex Route

The foreign minister is treading a difficult course since Iran aims to avoid be seen to be acting from a position of disadvantage, and he consistently maintained that Iran had emerged stronger militarily and psychologically from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.

He was speaking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an inalienable right to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the key factor of the impasse in the prior discussions.

Prior Talks Suddenly Concluded

The previous five rounds of discussions between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and hostile conclusion on 12 June when Israel, with US support, targeted Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that concluded with the American leader declaring the sites had been eliminated. Afterward, Western states exercised their authority to restore international penalties, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.

Perfect Agreement Offered

Iran's diplomats stated they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, 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 remained and the US could be assured that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely non-military.

It had not been settled in the talks that American atomic experts could operate within Iranian territory, but that was a logical implication of the cooperative offer. Diplomats stated three times they had reached agreement with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff only for the agreement to collapse due to "detractors in America".

Current Situation

Iranian officials said the consortium offer was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the proposal could be resurrected in various formats if talks resume.

The US president last week stated he had been getting signals that Iran sought to resume discussions, but in private Tehran representatives state they are not yet receiving coherent offers from Washington either explicitly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been accused of passivity in the aftermath of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran says negotiations is not part of a show.

Political Stance

In his speech to the conference, designed to depict the US as a hegemonic power that abuses the idea of worldwide standards, the foreign minister stated the 12-day war showed the dispute could not be ended by armed force. He said the assaults started with a American requirement for an unconditional Iranian surrender and concluded with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.

Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were carried out with full US knowledge and cooperation, making confidence hard to reestablish.

Dialogue Stays the Primary Solution

The foreign minister declared: "Tehran was not the one that had fled negotiations; it was America and the western countries that had repeatedly tried to impose their demands during the negotiations. Negotiations can still be active and remains the ultimate resolution to address disputes, but its requirements, rules and tenets must be respected."

"If they talk to the citizens of Tehran with the approach of dignity and respect, they will receive a response in the same tone."

Recovery and Rebuilding

In what is described by Tehran representatives as the struggle of recovery and rebuilding, the foreign minister said he was certain Iran's defence capabilities "are much stronger than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been restored. We acquired numerous insights from this war; we have identified our personal limitations and the weaknesses of the enemy."

He added: "We successfully passed this conflict. Our atomic expertise, which they planned to obliterate, continues to exist. The facilities and equipment, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is important is the resolve of the nation of Iran and then the national cohesion that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to destroy. The citizens of Tehran have grown stronger, more cohesive, and more backing of the leadership and the country in the face of this assault."