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Iran is willing to resume atomic negotiations with the United States provided that it is treated with "dignity" and "respect", Iran's top diplomat has stated.

Abbas Araghchi declared only diplomacy produced results, and disclosed recent overtures had come from go-betweens to restart discussions with the American leadership. He said Iran did not have secret atomic facilities, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to allow the global atomic watchdog to visit bombed nuclear sites for security reasons.

Walking a Difficult Route

The foreign minister is navigating a difficult path since Iran does not want appear to be acting from a stance of disadvantage, and he consistently maintained that Iran had come out stronger defensively and emotionally from the coordinated strike on its atomic facilities in June.

He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an absolute privilege to process nuclear material domestically that it will never give up" – the main reason of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.

Earlier Talks Suddenly Ended

The prior phases of negotiations between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and bitter termination on 12 June when Israel, with Washington's assistance, attacked Tehran's atomic facilities in a fortnight-long engagement that culminated with the US president claiming the sites had been eliminated. Subsequently, Western states used their authority to reimpose international penalties, but Iran asserts they have not had a major impact.

Magic Solution Suggested

Tehran representatives stated they felt they had achieved a "magic solution" to the uranium processing matter in previous talks, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to claim victory since home-based processing would have remained and the US could be confident that Iran's nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been decided in the discussions that US nuclear scientists could work on Iranian soil, but that was a logical implication of the cooperative offer. Representatives claimed three times they had secured an understanding with Washington's diplomat the American negotiator only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "spoilers in Washington".

Present Position

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

The US president last week claimed he had been getting signals that Iran sought to resume discussions, but privately Iranian officials claim they are not yet receiving consistent overtures from America either explicitly or from key regional mediators, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of inactivity in the wake of the US president's straightforward manner, but Iran states negotiations is not part of a spectacle.

Negotiating Stance

In his address to the gathering, designed to depict the US as a controlling nation that exploits the notion of global regulations, Araghchi said the 12-day war demonstrated the conflict could not be settled by military means. He said the strikes commenced with a American requirement for an complete Tehran capitulation and culminated with an absolute demand for a ceasefire.

Iran is convinced the initial Israeli attacks were mounted with total Washington understanding and cooperation, making confidence hard to reestablish.

Negotiations Stays the Ultimate Solution

Araghchi declared: "It was not Iran that had deserted diplomacy; it was the United States and the western countries that had repeatedly attempted to impose their desires during the negotiations. Diplomacy can still be active and continues the ultimate solution to resolve conflicts, but its requirements, guidelines and fundamentals must be adhered to."

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

Recovery and Recovery

In what is characterized by Iranian officials as the struggle of restoration and rebuilding, Araghchi stated he was assured Iran's security strengths "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been reestablished. We acquired many lessons from this conflict; we have come to know our internal vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of the adversary."

He stated: "We managed to survive this war. Our atomic expertise, which they planned to destroy, remains in place. The installations and gear, if destroyed, will be reconstructed; what is important is the determination of the citizens of Tehran and then the unity of the country that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to shatter. The nation of Iran have grown more powerful, more cohesive, and more backing of the government and the state in the face of this attack."