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Iran is prepared to restart atomic discussions with the United States as long as it is approached with "dignity" and "honor", Tehran's top diplomat has declared.

Abbas Araghchi said exclusively dialogue worked, and shared fresh requests had originated from intermediaries to reopen negotiations with the US government. He asserted Iran had zero undeclared nuclear sites, and Iran could not yet allow the global atomic watchdog to access attacked atomic facilities for security reasons.

Navigating a Difficult Course

Araghchi is treading a challenging course since Iran does not want appear to be operating from a stance of vulnerability, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had come out stronger defensively and mentally from the joint assault on its enrichment centers in June.

He was talking at a defense forum in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "an inalienable right to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will always maintain" – the main reason of the stalemate in the prior discussions.

Previous Negotiations Suddenly Ended

The prior phases of discussions between the US and Iran were ended suddenly and acrimonious conclusion on 12 June when the Israeli government, with Washington's assistance, targeted Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that ended with the US president asserting the sites had been obliterated. Following this, Western states used their privilege to restore global restrictions, but Iran asserts they have not had a significant effect.

Magic Solution Proposed

Iranian officials claimed they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the enrichment issue in prior discussions, when it was decided an Iran-based consortium with American involvement could enrich uranium. The two nations would have been able to assert triumph since home-based processing would have remained and the US could be confident that Iran's enrichment initiative was entirely non-military.

It had not been decided in the talks that American atomic experts could work inside Iran, but that was a natural consequence of the consortium proposal. Diplomats claimed on multiple occasions they had reached agreement with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to collapse due to "opponents in the US".

Existing Position

Tehran representatives declared the consortium offer was now withdrawn, but it seems quite possible the suggestion could be resurrected in some form if negotiations reopen.

The American leader last week claimed he had been obtaining communications that Iran sought to restart talks, but in private Iran's diplomats say they are not yet receiving consistent overtures from America either directly or from significant local go-betweens, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been accused of non-responsiveness in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Tehran says diplomacy is not part of a performance.

Negotiating Stance

In his speech to the conference, aimed to depict the US as a dominant force that exploits the notion of international law, Araghchi said the 12-day war showed the conflict could not be settled by combat operations. He stated the strikes started with a American requirement for an complete Tehran capitulation and ended with an complete request for a truce.

Iran is assured the first strikes by Israel were mounted with total Washington understanding and cooperation, making faith challenging to reestablish.

Diplomacy Remains the Ultimate Answer

The foreign minister said: "It was not Iran that had abandoned dialogue; it was America and the European states that had consistently tried to impose their will during the discussions. Diplomacy can still be viable and remains the ultimate resolution to resolve disagreements, but its requirements, guidelines and principles must be respected."

"If they speak to the nation of Iran with the language of respect and honor, they will get a answer in the same tone."

Repair and Recovery

In what is described by Iranian officials as the conflict of recovery and reconstruction, Araghchi said he was certain Iran's defence capabilities "have significantly improved than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been reestablished. We learned multiple understandings from this war; we have identified our internal vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of the enemy."

He continued: "We managed to survive this engagement. Our enrichment knowledge, which they planned to destroy, stays intact. The installations and equipment, if eliminated, will be reconstructed; what is essential is the will of the citizens of Tehran and then the national cohesion that they sought to undermine, but failed to shatter. The nation of Iran have developed more resilient, more integrated, and more backing of the government and the country in the wake of this assault."