When Israeli aircraft recently struck a uranium-enrichment complex in the nation, Iran could have been days away from achieving “breakout,” the ability to quickly turn “yellowcake” uranium into bomb-grade fuel,

Iran has rapidly escalated production of fissile material in the past six months and is producing around one nuclear weapon’s worth of 60% highly enriched uranium a month, principally at its Fordow site.

U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Friday he was ready to travel to Iran to assess the situation there after Israel carried out widespread military strikes that hit the sprawling nuclear complex at Natanz.

Iran has warned it will ramp up its nuclear activities after the United Nations nuclear watchdog’s 35-member board of governors adopted a resolution Thursday declaring it in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.

Iran announced Thursday it will launch a new uranium enrichment facility after the United Nation nuclear watchdog determined the country was not in compliance with its nuclear obligations. The

Israel is reportedly gearing up to bomb Iran as the U.S. ordered evacuations across the Middle East, U.S. and European

Iran will not abandon its right to uranium enrichment because of mounting frictions in the region, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday, adding that a "friendly" regional country had alerted Tehran over a potential military strike by Israel.

Israel is weighing a military strike on Iran’s nuclear sites without US support, fearing that a potential US-Iran deal allowing uranium enrichment would legitimise Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Israeli leaders say the world must “respond decisively”.