Iran’s nuclear programme is once again at the centre of a growing geopolitical confrontation, as Tehran faces international pressure while deepening nuclear cooperation with Russia.

Iran operates Russian-designed nuclear infrastructure at Bushehr, while further Russian-Iranian nuclear projects are also under development. Iranian officials have described expanding cooperation with Moscow, including work involving nuclear power and radiopharmaceuticals.

At the same time, Iran’s fortified nuclear facilities remain a major concern for the United States and its allies. The heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain site near Natanz has emerged as a particular focus amid the continuing US-Iran conflict.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has also referred Iran to the UN Security Council over its failure to cooperate with a long-running investigation into undeclared uranium traces. Iran continues to insist that its nuclear programme is peaceful.

As Russia deepens its relationship with Tehran, the nuclear question is becoming an increasingly important part of the wider geopolitical contest.

Watch GRAVITAS for a closer look at Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Russia’s expanding role and what this partnership could mean for the future of the region.

Iran's Nuclear Fortress Is Getting Stronger as Russia Expands Its Nuclear Ties | GRAVITAS 

President Hassan&nbsp;Rouhani has said that Iran can&nbsp;enrich uranium up to 90 per cent&nbsp;purity if its nuclear reactors needed it, according to local media.

Addressing a cabinet meeting, Rouhani said, ''Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation can enrich uranium by 20 per cent&nbsp;and 60&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;and if one day our reactor needs it, it can enrich uranium to 90&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;purity.''

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He added that&nbsp;he hopes his successor can clinch a deal to lift US sanctions, implying that nuclear talks will not conclude before his term ends in August.

The Islamic republic has held talks since April in Vienna with major powers on reviving its troubled 2015 nuclear agreement.&nbsp;

The accord offered Tehran international sanctions relief in exchange for limiting its nuclear programme, but was torpedoed in 2018 when former US president Donald Trump withdrew from it and reimposed sanctions.

"The work was ready" to be done, the moderate&nbsp;Rouhani&nbsp;said of the talks, speaking in a televised cabinet meeting.&nbsp;

But "they took away the 12th administration's opportunity," he added about his government, without elaborating. "We hope the 13th administration can finish this work."

The nuclear deal caps the fissile purity to which Tehran can refine uranium at 3.67 per cent, well under the 20&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;achieved before the agreement and far below the 90&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;suitable for a nuclear weapon. Iran has long denied any intention of developing nuclear weapons.

Rouhani&nbsp;is set to hand power in early August to the ultraconservative former judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, who last month won a presidential poll.

Trump's successor Joe Biden has signalled his readiness to return to the deal and has engaged in indirect negotiations with Iran as the accord's remaining other state parties,&nbsp;Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia,&nbsp;hold talks in Vienna.

They have held six rounds of talks, concluding the latest on June 20 without setting a date for a new one.

(With inputs from agencies)

President Hassan Rouhani has said that Iran can enrich uranium up to 90 per cent purity if its nuclear reactors needed it, according to local media. Addressing a cabinet meeting, Rouhani said, ''Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation can enrich uranium by 20 per cent and 60 per cent and if one day our reactor needs it, it can enrich uranium to 90 per cent purity.

President Hassan Rouhani has said that Iran can enrich uranium up to 90 per cent purity if its nuclear reactors needed it, according to local media. Addressing a cabinet meeting, Rouhani said, ''Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation can enrich uranium by 20 per cent and 60 per cent and if one day our reactor needs it, it can enrich uranium to 90 per cent purity.'' He added that he hopes his successor can clinch a deal to lift US sanctions, implying that nuclear talks will not conclude before his term ends in August. The Islamic republic has held talks since April in Vienna with major powers on reviving its troubled 2015 nuclear agreement. The accord offered Tehran international sanctions relief in exchange for limiting its nuclear programme, but was torpedoed in 2018 when former US president Donald Trump withdrew from it and reimposed sanctions. "The work was ready" to be done, the moderate Rouhani said of the talks, speaking in a televised cabinet meeting. But "they took away the 12th administration's opportunity," he added about his government, without elaborating. "We hope the 13th administration can finish this work." The nuclear deal caps the fissile purity to which Tehran can refine uranium at 3.67 per cent, well under the 20 per cent achieved before the agreement and far below the 90 per cent suitable for a nuclear weapon. Iran has long denied any intention of developing nuclear weapons. Rouhani is set to hand power in early August to the ultraconservative former judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, who last month won a presidential poll. Trump's successor Joe Biden has signalled his readiness to return to the deal and has engaged in indirect negotiations with Iran as the accord's remaining other state parties, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, hold talks in Vienna. They have held six rounds of talks, concluding the latest on June 20 without setting a date for a new one. (With inputs from agencies)

Iran can enrich uranium up to 90% purity if it wants, says President Hassan Rouhani

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz urged the world on Thursday to take "a decisive stance" to address efforts by Iran to develop nuclear and ballistic missile programs, in an annual address to the top government advisory body.

"The kingdom stresses the dangers of Iran's regional project, its interference in other countries, its fostering of terrorism, its fanning the flames of sectarianism and calls for a decisive stance from the international community against Iran that guarantees a drastic handling of its efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction and develop its ballistic missiles programme," the king said.

"This firm stance must guarantee that the Iranian regime is prevented from obtaining weapons of mass destruction, the development of its ballistic missile programme and threatening peace and security," he added in a speech delivered in the early hours.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-enriched-uranium-stockpile-12-times-over-limit-set-in-2015-deal-un-nuclear-agency-342493" hreflang="en">Iran's enriched uranium stockpile 12 times over limit set in 2015 deal</a>

They were the 84-year-old ruler's first public remarks since he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in September via videolink, where he also took aim at Iran.

Sunni Muslim&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia and Shi'ite Iran are locked in a decades-long struggle for influence across the region, supporting opposing sides in conflicts from Syria to Yemen.

Riyadh appears wary of Biden's pledge to revive a 2015 nuclear pact between major powers and Iran, a landmark deal that was negotiated when he served as vice president under Barack Obama.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/we-hope-lesson-has-been-learnt-says-iran-on-nuclear-deal-with-usa-341410" hreflang="en">We hope 'lesson' has been learnt, says Iran on nuclear deal with USA</a>

There was no immediate reaction from Iran to the king's remarks. Tehran has previously described&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;statements against it as "baseless allegations" and denies arming groups in the Middle East.

State news agency SPA published a full transcript of the king's speech after midnight. State TV carried photos of what appeared to be the king virtually addressing council members from his palace in Neom.

King Salman was hospitalized for several days over the summer, suffering from inflammation of the gall bladder for which he had surgery.

Tensions have risen in the region since U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a landmark nuclear deal with world powers in 2018 and reimposed stringent economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Saudi&nbsp;Crown Prince Mohammed's relationship with Trump had provided a buffer against international criticism over Riyadh's rights record sparked by the murder of&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh's role in Yemen's war and the detention of women activists.

Those areas may now become points of friction with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who pledged in his campaign to reassess ties with the kingdom, a major oil exporter and buyer of U.S. arms.

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia was an enthusiastic backer of Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran. But Biden has said he would return to a 2015 nuclear pact between world powers and Tehran, a deal negotiated when Biden was vice president in Barack Obama's administration.

In Yemen, where&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia leads a military coalition battling the Iran-aligned Houthis in a nearly six year war that has killed tens of thousands, King Salman said the kingdom continues to support U.N.-led efforts to reach a political settlement.

He also condemned the Iran-aligned Houthi movement's "deliberate and methodological" targeting of civilians inside&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia via drones and ballistic missiles.

Riyadh was working to guarantee the stability of global oil supplies to serve both producers and consumers, despite Covid-19's impact on oil markets, the king said.

He repeated his long-standing support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, but did not refer to the U.S.-brokered agreements signed between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan to normalise ties with Israel, part of a strategic realignment against Iran.

Riyadh has quietly acquiesced to the UAE and Bahrain deals, though it has stopped short of endorsing them, and has signaled it is not ready to take action itself.

The king spoke days before the Group of 20 summit, which&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia is hosting virtually this year.

Prince Mohammed had denied ordering Khashoggi's killing but in 2019 he acknowledged some personal accountability by saying that it happened on his watch. Riyadh has jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years in the case.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz urged the world on Thursday to take "a decisive stance" to address efforts by Iran to develop nuclear and ballistic missile programs, in an annual address to the top government advisory body.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz urged the world on Thursday to take "a decisive stance" to address efforts by Iran to develop nuclear and ballistic missile programs, in an annual address to the top government advisory body. "The kingdom stresses the dangers of Iran's regional project, its interference in other countries, its fostering of terrorism, its fanning the flames of sectarianism and calls for a decisive stance from the international community against Iran that guarantees a drastic handling of its efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction and develop its ballistic missiles programme," the king said. "This firm stance must guarantee that the Iranian regime is prevented from obtaining weapons of mass destruction, the development of its ballistic missile programme and threatening peace and security," he added in a speech delivered in the early hours. Also read: Iran's enriched uranium stockpile 12 times over limit set in 2015 deal They were the 84-year-old ruler's first public remarks since he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in September via videolink, where he also took aim at Iran. Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran are locked in a decades-long struggle for influence across the region, supporting opposing sides in conflicts from Syria to Yemen. Riyadh appears wary of Biden's pledge to revive a 2015 nuclear pact between major powers and Iran, a landmark deal that was negotiated when he served as vice president under Barack Obama. Also read: We hope 'lesson' has been learnt, says Iran on nuclear deal with USA There was no immediate reaction from Iran to the king's remarks. Tehran has previously described Saudi statements against it as "baseless allegations" and denies arming groups in the Middle East. State news agency SPA published a full transcript of the king's speech after midnight. State TV carried photos of what appeared to be the king virtually addressing council members from his palace in Neom. King Salman was hospitalized for several days over the summer, suffering from inflammation of the gall bladder for which he had surgery. Tensions have risen in the region since U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a landmark nuclear deal with world powers in 2018 and reimposed stringent economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed's relationship with Trump had provided a buffer against international criticism over Riyadh's rights record sparked by the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh's role in Yemen's war and the detention of women activists. Those areas may now become points of friction with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who pledged in his campaign to reassess ties with the kingdom, a major oil exporter and buyer of U.S. arms. Saudi Arabia was an enthusiastic backer of Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran. But Biden has said he would return to a 2015 nuclear pact between world powers and Tehran, a deal negotiated when Biden was vice president in Barack Obama's administration. In Yemen, where Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition battling the Iran-aligned Houthis in a nearly six year war that has killed tens of thousands, King Salman said the kingdom continues to support U.N.-led efforts to reach a political settlement. He also condemned the Iran-aligned Houthi movement's "deliberate and methodological" targeting of civilians inside Saudi Arabia via drones and ballistic missiles. Riyadh was working to guarantee the stability of global oil supplies to serve both producers and consumers, despite Covid-19's impact on oil markets, the king said. He repeated his long-standing support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, but did not refer to the U.S.-brokered agreements signed between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan to normalise ties with Israel, part of a strategic realignment against Iran. Riyadh has quietly acquiesced to the UAE and Bahrain deals, though it has stopped short of endorsing them, and has signaled it is not ready to take action itself. The king spoke days before the Group of 20 summit, which Saudi Arabia is hosting virtually this year. Prince Mohammed had denied ordering Khashoggi's killing but in 2019 he acknowledged some personal accountability by saying that it happened on his watch. Riyadh has jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years in the case.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz urges world to take 'firm stance' against Iran

How close is Iran to producing a nuclear bomb?