• Iranian atomic energy chief claims country has capability to construct a nuclear weapon.
• Mohammad Eslami’s remarks are similar to those made recently by a key adviser to Iran’s supreme leader.
• Western governments and the global nuclear watchdog remain skeptical.

According to an Iranian news outlet, Iran’s atomic energy chief claims the country has the capability to construct a nuclear weapon but has no plans to do so.

Mohammad Eslami’s remarks are similar to those made recently by a key adviser to Iran’s supreme leader.

Such public statements by high officials are unusual, and they are likely to exacerbate worries about the nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.

It has increased its nuclear activities since a deal to curb them fell through.

When the United States withdrew from the 2015 accord, harsh economic penalties were reintroduced.

Iran has often stated that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes, but Western governments and the global nuclear watchdog remain skeptical.

Western officials have cautioned that time is running out to rescue the pact before Iran’s programme becomes irreversible.

Mr Eslami confirmed comments made by the senior adviser, Kamal Kharrazi, in remarks reported on Monday by the semi-official Fars news agency.

“As Mr Kharrazi mentioned, Iran has the technical ability to build an atomic bomb, but such a programme is not on the agenda,” Mr Eslami remarked.

Mr Kharrazi stated to Al Jazeera on July 17th, “Iran has the technical means to produce a nuclear bomb but there has been no decision by Iran to build one.”

Concerns have grown over the so-called breakout time, or the amount of time it will take Iran to accumulate enough highly enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb.

Rafael Grossi, the president of the global atomic energy agency, stated in June that Iran could obtain such a number in a couple of weeks. During the era when the nuclear accord was in place, the US estimated that the breakout time was about a year.

Mr Grossi, on the other hand, stated that just because Iran has enough material does not guarantee it can build a nuclear bomb.

The IAEA said in May that Iran has 43.1kg (95lb) of uranium refined to 60% purity. A nuclear weapon requires around 25kg of uranium enriched to 90% purity.

Iran’s allegations that it has the technological know-how to construct a nuclear weapon come at a time when Iran and international countries are at odds about resurrecting the 2015 accord.

Months of on-again, off-again talks in Vienna have stalled, and rare indirect talks between the US and Iran on the topic in Qatar in June concluded without accord.

[embedpost slug=”/69-dead-in-iran-flood-and-mudslides/”]