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Tehran is ready to restart nuclear negotiations with Washington as long as it is handled with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's foreign minister has stated.

Abbas Araghchi declared solely negotiations worked, and shared fresh requests had been made by go-betweens to resume negotiations with the Trump administration. He asserted Iran possessed no secret atomic facilities, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to authorize the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit attacked atomic facilities for security reasons.

Walking a Challenging Path

Araghchi is walking a difficult course since Iran does not want be perceived to be acting from a stance of weakness, and he insisted repeatedly that Iran had emerged stronger defensively and emotionally from the coordinated strike on its enrichment centers in June.

He was talking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to refine atomic fuel within its borders that it will never give up" – the main reason of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.

Previous Negotiations Abruptly Concluded

The previous five rounds of talks between the US and Iran were brought to an abrupt and hostile end on 12 June when Israel, with US support, attacked Iran's enrichment centers in a two-week conflict that culminated with the US president asserting the facilities had been destroyed. Subsequently, Western states employed their privilege to reinstate UN-wide sanctions, but Iran insists they have not had a major impact.

Ideal Resolution Suggested

Iranian officials claimed they felt they had attained a "magic solution" to the nuclear fuel concern in earlier negotiations, when it was decided an domestic cooperative with US participation 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 exclusively peaceful.

It had not been agreed in the negotiations that American atomic experts could operate inside Iran, but that was a natural consequence of the partnership suggestion. Representatives claimed three times they had achieved a deal with Washington's diplomat the US official only for the deal to fall apart due to "detractors in America".

Current Position

Iran's diplomats declared the partnership proposal was now no longer available, but it seems very probable the proposal could be resurrected in certain ways if discussions reopen.

The US president last week said he had been getting signals that Iran desired to restart talks, but in private Iranian officials say they are not yet receiving clear proposals from Washington either explicitly or from significant local go-betweens, such as the Qatari government, the Egyptian leadership, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Tehran's diplomatic corps has been criticized of passivity in the face of the US president's straightforward manner, but Iran states diplomacy is not part of a show.

Negotiating Standpoint

In his address to the forum, intended to paint the US as a dominant force that exploits the idea of international law, Araghchi stated the two-week conflict showed the clash could not be resolved by combat operations. He stated the strikes commenced with a Washington's ultimatum for an unconditional Iranian surrender and ended with an absolute demand for a truce.

Iran is certain the initial Israeli attacks were executed with complete American awareness and coordination, making trust difficult to restore.

Negotiations Stays the Final Answer

The foreign minister stated: "It was not Iran that had abandoned diplomacy; it was the United States and the European states that had always sought to dictate their will during the discussions. Dialogue can still be viable and remains the final solution to resolve disagreements, but its requirements, rules and principles must be followed."

"In case they address to the nation of Iran with the approach of respect and honor, they will obtain a reply in the same approach."

Repair and Rebuilding

In what is characterized by Iranian officials as the conflict of repair and recovery, Araghchi stated he was assured Iran's security strengths "are much stronger than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. All our capabilities have been rebuilt. We acquired multiple understandings from this conflict; we have come to know our own weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the adversary."

He stated: "We effectively endured this war. Our atomic expertise, which they intended to obliterate, stays intact. The sites and equipment, if destroyed, will be rebuilt; what is essential is the will of the nation of Iran and then the national cohesion that they sought to undermine, but did not succeed to shatter. The citizens of Tehran have grown stronger, more cohesive, and more endorsing of the government and the state in the face of this assault."