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Tehran is ready to resume nuclear discussions with Washington on condition that it is approached with "dignity" and "respect", Tehran's top diplomat has declared.

Abbas Araghchi said only diplomacy worked, and revealed new appeals had originated from go-betweens to restart discussions with the American leadership. He said Iran had zero secret atomic facilities, and Tehran had not yet reached a point to allow the global atomic watchdog to visit struck enrichment centers for security reasons.

Navigating a Complex Course

Araghchi is treading a difficult course since Iran aims to avoid be seen to be proceeding from a stance of vulnerability, and he consistently maintained that Iran had arisen stronger militarily and mentally from the joint assault on its enrichment centers in June.

He was speaking at a security conference in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to enrich uranium domestically that it will never give up" – the key factor of the stalemate in the earlier negotiations.

Earlier Negotiations Abruptly Terminated

The prior phases of discussions between the United States and Iran were brought to an abrupt and hostile end on 12 June when the Israeli government, with American backing, targeted Iran's enrichment centers in a fortnight-long engagement that culminated with the US president claiming the sites had been destroyed. Subsequently, EU nations used their right to reinstate global restrictions, but Iran asserts they have not had a major impact.

Perfect Agreement Suggested

Tehran representatives claimed they felt they had reached a "perfect agreement" to the nuclear fuel concern in previous talks, when it was agreed an Iran-based consortium with US participation could enrich uranium. Both sides would have been able to assert triumph since home-based processing would have remained and the US could be confident that Iran's atomic project was entirely non-military.

It had not been decided in the discussions that US nuclear scientists could work on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the cooperative offer. Representatives asserted three times they had reached agreement with Washington's diplomat Steve Witkoff only for the arrangement to disintegrate due to "spoilers in Washington".

Current Situation

Iranian officials said the partnership proposal was now off the table, but it seems highly likely the suggestion could be reintroduced in some form if negotiations restart.

Trump recently said he had been obtaining communications that Iran wanted to resume discussions, but privately Iran's diplomats claim they are not yet getting clear proposals from America either explicitly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as the Qatari government, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Iran's state department has been charged of inactivity in the wake of Trump's direct instinctive approach, but Iran asserts diplomacy is not part of a performance.

Diplomatic Position

In his remarks to the conference, intended to portray the US as a hegemonic power that exploits the concept of worldwide standards, Araghchi said the two-week conflict revealed the conflict could not be settled by military means. He asserted the assaults began with a Washington's ultimatum for an complete Tehran capitulation and ended with an unconditional call for a truce.

Iran is convinced the initial Israeli attacks were executed with total Washington understanding and coordination, making confidence difficult to rebuild.

Diplomacy Continues the Ultimate Answer

Araghchi said: "It was not Iran that had deserted diplomacy; it was the United States and the western countries that had always sought to enforce their desires during the negotiations. Negotiations can still be active and continues the primary answer to address disputes, but its criteria, rules and fundamentals must be respected."

"If they address to the nation of Iran with the tone of dignity and honor, they will obtain a response in the equivalent tone."

Recovery and Rebuilding

In what is portrayed by Iran's diplomats as the struggle of repair and reconstruction, Araghchi stated he was confident Iran's defence capabilities "are much stronger than before 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been reestablished. We acquired many lessons from this engagement; we have come to know our internal vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of the opponent."

He added: "We managed to survive this war. Our enrichment knowledge, which they intended to obliterate, continues to exist. The facilities and equipment, if damaged, will be reconstructed; what is crucial is the will of the citizens of Tehran and then the social solidarity that they targeted, but failed to break. The nation of Iran have become more resilient, more integrated, and more supportive of the government and the country in the wake of this assault."