Iran on Thursday vowed to significantly increase its output of enriched uranium in defiance of US demands ahead of a round of nuclear talks overshadowed by fears of an imminent Israeli attack.
The announcement came after the UN nuclear watchdog—the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—accused Iran of non-compliance with its obligations, prompting Israel to say the world must respond "decisively".
The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which it has repeatedly denied.
Ahead of the sixth round of US-Iran talks in Oman on Sunday, the Islamic republic threatened to strike US bases in the region if the negotiations fail and conflict erupts.
Uranium enrichment is a central dispute, with Iran defending it as a "non-negotiable" right in its pursuit of a civilian nuclear programme, while the United States has called it a "red line".
Iran's foreign minister and chief negotiator, Abbas Araghchi, said the IAEA's resolution "adds to the complexity of the discussions".
"We will be in Muscat to defend the rights of the Iranian people," he said.
'Extremist'
The IAEA's board of governors adopted a resolution condemning Iran's "non-compliance" with its nuclear obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), carried by 19 votes in favour, out of 35 in total, diplomats said.
The resolution could lay the groundwork for European countries to invoke the "snapback" mechanism under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, reinstating UN sanctions in response to non-compliance—an option that expires in October.
Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, slammed the resolution as "extremist", blaming it on Israeli influence.
He insisted Iran has upheld its commitments under the NPT but rolled back adherence to the 2015 deal after Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the accord during his first term as US president.
"They can't expect us to fulfill them without them (Western countries) honoring any of their commitments," he said.
In response to the resolution, Iran issued a defiant statement outlining its next steps.
"The necessary orders have been issued by the head of the Atomic Energy Organization (of Iran) to launch a new enrichment center in a secure location," said a joint statement from the organization and the foreign ministry.
Iran would also replace "all of these first-generation machines with sixth-generation advanced machines" at the Fordo uranium enrichment plant south of Tehran, the organization's spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said.
This means "our production of enriched material will increase significantly", he added.
Eslami said enrichment would begin at the new "invulnerable" site "as soon as the machines are installed".
Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit set in the 2015 deal and close, though still short, of the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead.
Threats to US Bases
The United States and Iran have held five rounds of talks since April.
Trump appeared to shift his previously optimistic tone this week, saying he was "less confident" a deal could be reached.
On Wednesday, following Iran's threat to hit US bases in case of war, Trump said US personnel were being moved from the potentially "dangerous" Middle East.
On Thursday, the US embassy in Jerusalem restricted staff movements over security concerns, citing "increased regional tensions".
A US official had earlier said that staff levels at the embassy in Iraq were being reduced over security concerns.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi confirmed the "6th round of Iran US talks will be held in Muscat this Sunday", in a post on X.
'Strategic Mistake'
Israel has repeatedly warned it could attack Iranian nuclear sites, vowing to stop its arch-foe from acquiring an atomic bomb.
Its foreign ministry said Iran's "actions undermine the global non-proliferation regime and pose an imminent threat to regional and international security and stability".
Reports in US media, including NBC and The New York Times, this week said Israel was considering taking military action against Iran, likely without US support.
Iran has vowed to respond to any attack.
"All its (US) bases are within our reach; we have access to them, and without hesitation we will target all of them in the host countries," Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said in response to US threats of military action if the talks fail.
"God willing, things won't reach that point, and the talks will succeed," he said, adding that Washington "will suffer more losses" if conflict erupts.
Following Iran's vow to increase enrichment, the European Union called on it "to show restraint".
Iran's permanent UN representative, Amir Saeid Iravani, has said Tehran will consider "proportionate responses" if the snapback mechanism is triggered—including "starting the process of withdrawal" from the NPT.
By Menna ZAKI et Payam DOOST MOHAMADI, AFP
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