Although Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes only, Iran is believed to have enough weapons-grade uranium to make several nuclear bombs.

And the country’s foreign minister has now suggested Tehran may shift its focus to owning its own weapons after threats of re-imposed sanctions from the UN nuclear watchdog.

Ahead of a meeting to discuss Iran’s nuclear program with European countries, Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the country has the knowledge and ability to create nuclear weapons.

He also suggested that internal debate was raging over whether the current position – that nuclear weapons do not form part of the country’s security strategy – was “inadequate in practice”, something he said would be confirmed if the UN reimposes sanctions that were lifted in 2015 after Iran signed a deal which limits its nuclear activities, reports the Guardian.

Mr Araghchi said he was “not optimistic” about the meeting, because: “I am not sure if Iran is talking to the right party. European countries seem to have chosen a counter-policy.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called on Tehran to explain why uranium particles were found at two sites the administration did not declare as nuclear facilities earlier this month.

A motion of no confidence tabled by France, Germany and Britain was adopted by the IAEA on November 21, saying Iran had failed to cooperate with inspectors and was building up a stockpile that had no peaceful purpose.

Araghchi said the country had “decided to introduce thousands of new, very advanced machines into the system and feed them with gas” as a result of the “pressure”, but added: “We have no intention of going beyond 60% for now .”

“I would like to emphasize again that we have chosen the line of cooperation to arrive at a dignified solution to this problem,” the foreign minister said.

It comes after a spokesman for Iran’s foreign minister, Esmail Baghaei, warned that while the country “rejects weapons of mass destruction”, it will use them “to the extent necessary” to defend itself.

Araghchi also denied that Iran has supplied ballistic missiles to Russia but defended the right to strong military ties between the long-term allies.

And he added that the government of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian would continue to supply arms to Hezbollah if needed, suggesting that Israel had only agreed to a ceasefire in the region because one could not “stop the job”.

A 60-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah fighters came into force this week, with both sides moving out of southern Lebanon. The agreement, brokered by the United States and France, aims to bring a permanent end to the conflict, according to the president Joe Biden.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal would allow the country to focus more on Iran, which has staged several attacks on Israel in recent months, as well as the situation continuing to develop in Gaza.