US-Iran tensions: What is Iran's nuclear programme? Know history of Tehran's enmity with America | WION Explains

Amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States, the global nuclear watchdog's board of governors declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years. This comes after it was reported that Israel appears to be preparing to launch an attack soon on Iran, according to officials in the United States and Europe. Moreover, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will be moving US personnel out of the Middle East, especially Iran, because "it could be a dangerous place."

The sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks will be held on Sunday in Muscat, the Omani foreign minister said, after Trump reiterated that Tehran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

Envoys from Iran and the United States began negotiations on April 12, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi leading the talks from Iran's side while Steve Witkoff leading the US delegation.

But what is Iran's nuclear programme and what is the history of the US-Iran enemity? Let's have a look

Iran's nuclear programme and its reality

Iran has two uranium mines, a research reactor and a uranium processing facility. The nuclear programme began with the support of the US in the 1950s under the Atoms for Peace program. Iran became a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1970. This subjected its nuclear activities to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections. However, after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Iran pursued its nuclear program and stopped cooperating with the IAEA. The Shah even approved plans to construct up to 23 nuclear power stations by 2000. In 2002, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) exposed the existence of an undisclosed uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, as per reports. In 2003, the IAEA first reported that Iran had not declared uranium enrichment activities, which may be used in developing nuclear weapons.

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The UN, US and EU imposed economic sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme from 2010. The repercussion of the sanctions was faced by Iranians. Foreign assets worth 100 billion USD froze, and its economy plunged into recession. After years of sanctions and negotiations, Iran and Western powers - the US, China, France, Russia, Germany and the UK – agreed to sign the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

Iran has maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilians. It has insisted that it is not developing nuclear weapons but will use them for other purposes. However, Iran is accused of breaking the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that allows countries to use non-military nuclear technology but does not permit the development of nuclear weapons. The West fears that Iran can develop a nuclear weapon within six to18 months.

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What was the 2015 nuclear deal?

The Iran nuclear agreement of 2015 was formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under its terms, Iran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and open its facilities to international inspections in exchange for sanctions relief. Nuclear weapons require uranium enriched to 90% purity. Under the deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium up to 3.67 per cent purity and to maintain a uranium stockpile of 300 kilograms. But by March 2025, Iran reportedly had about 275kg of uranium, which it had enriched to 60% purity.

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What is the history of Iran-US enmity?

In the 1940s, Iran was one of the top allies of the United States in West Asia under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Pahlavi purchased American military weapons and helped the CIA secretly against the Soviet Union. The CIA, in turn, is known to have helped Shah in the 1953 coup. However, by 1979, anger grew in Iran against the Shah's regime and the Shah fatally ill with cancer, fled to Iran. This paved the way for the Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

After Khomeini's takeover, hostility against US increased with university students overrunning the US Embassy in Tehran, seeking the Shah's extradition. Subsequently, the 444-day hostage crisis ended the diplomatic relations between Iran and the US. Later the US backed Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. The enmity between the two nations has continued since then. A ray of hope in diplomatic ties came with the 2015 nuclear deal, but with that gone, America and Iran were back to being arch rivals.