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Tehran is willing to restart atomic discussions with Washington as long as it is treated with "dignity" and "honor", Iran's top diplomat has announced.

The Iranian diplomat declared only diplomacy worked, and revealed fresh requests had come from go-betweens to resume negotiations with the US government. He said Iran possessed no secret atomic facilities, and Iran could not yet allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to access attacked atomic facilities for safety concerns.

Walking a Difficult Path

The foreign minister is navigating a complex route since Iran wishes not to be seen to be proceeding from a stance of weakness, and he emphatically stated that Iran had emerged stronger in military terms and psychologically from the joint assault on its atomic facilities in June.

He was speaking at a security conference in Tehran where he reaffirmed that Iran had "a fundamental entitlement to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will always maintain" – the main reason of the stalemate in the previous talks.

Previous Discussions Unexpectedly Terminated

The previous five rounds of talks between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious termination on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, targeted Tehran's atomic facilities in a 12-day war that culminated with the US president declaring the sites had been destroyed. Following this, Western states used their privilege to reinstate global restrictions, but Iran maintains they have not had a substantial consequence.

Perfect Agreement Suggested

Iran's diplomats said they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the enrichment issue in earlier negotiations, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with Washington's engagement could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to claim victory since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be assured that Iran's atomic project was solely for peaceful purposes.

It had not been agreed in the discussions that US nuclear scientists could function on Iranian soil, but that was a reasonable assumption of the cooperative offer. Officials stated repeatedly they had secured an understanding with the US representative the US official only for the deal to fall apart due to "opponents in the US".

Current Status

Iranian officials declared the partnership proposal was now withdrawn, but it seems quite possible the proposal could be revived in certain ways if talks reopen.

The American leader in recent days stated he had been getting signals that Iran wanted to restart talks, but privately Iranian officials say they are not yet obtaining coherent offers from America either straightforwardly or from key regional mediators, such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and the Saudi kingdom. The Iran's state department has been charged of passivity in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran says negotiations is not part of a show.

Political Standpoint

In his remarks to the forum, intended to portray the US as a dominant force that abuses the idea of international law, Araghchi stated the fortnight-long engagement demonstrated the conflict could not be resolved by armed force. He asserted the strikes began with a American requirement for an unconditional Iranian surrender and concluded with an unconditional call for a ceasefire.

Iran is certain the initial Israeli attacks were executed with total Washington understanding and cooperation, making confidence difficult to restore.

Dialogue Stays the Ultimate Solution

The foreign minister declared: "Tehran was not the one that had deserted diplomacy; it was the United States and the western countries that had repeatedly sought to dictate their demands during the talks. Negotiations can still be active and stays the final resolution to resolve conflicts, but its standards, guidelines and tenets must be adhered to."

"In case they address to the citizens of Tehran with the tone of dignity and respect, they will receive a response in the identical language."

Repair and Recovery

In what is portrayed by Tehran representatives as the conflict of restoration and rebuilding, the foreign minister said he was assured Iran's security strengths "are much stronger than preceding 13 or 14 June of this year. Every aspect of our defense have been reestablished. We learned many lessons from this engagement; we have discovered our internal vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of the adversary."

He added: "We effectively endured this conflict. Our atomic expertise, which they planned to obliterate, remains in place. The facilities and equipment, if damaged, will be rebuilt; what is important is the will of the nation of Iran and then the unity of the country that they targeted, but did not succeed to break. The nation of Iran have developed stronger, more united, and more backing of the government and the nation in the aftermath of this assault."