Iran’s atomic energy chief says the country has the ability to build a nuclear weapon but has no plan to, an Iranian news agency reports. Mohammad Eslami’s comments echo a similar recent statement by a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader. Such public claims by top officials are rare and are likely to intensify concerns over the nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.

It has advanced its nuclear activities since a deal limiting them faltered. The 2015 agreement began to unravel when the US pulled out and reinstated crippling economic sanctions. Iran has repeatedly claimed its nuclear programme is for purely peaceful purposes but Western powers and the global nuclear watchdog say they are not convinced. Western officials have warned time is running out to restore the deal before Iran’s programme reaches such a point where it cannot be reversed.(BBC)…[+]