Blinken says Iran closer to making nuclear weapons

US negotiators do not know whether Iran is willing to reach a deal to wind up its nuclear programme, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Mr Blinken said the US was committed to restoring the Iran nuclear deal, from which former president Donald Trump withdrew in 2018.

“We’ve been engaged in Vienna for some weeks with our European partners, Russia and China, and indirectly with Iran,” Mr Blinken told BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme.

“We’ve demonstrated our seriousness of purpose in terms of wanting to get back into the so-called JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]. Compliance for compliance. What we don’t yet know is whether Iran is prepared to make the same decision and move forward.”

He said Iran was nearing the point of being capable of producing nuclear weapons.

“Before the agreement was reached some years ago, Iran was on the path where, in a matter of weeks, it could produce fissile material for a nuclear weapon and leave us no time to do anything about it,” he said.

“Right now, unfortunately, Iran has itself lifted many of the constraints imposed on it by the agreement because we pulled out.

“It is now getting closer and closer again to that point where its breakout time is going to be down to a few months and eventually even less.”

Mr Blinken’s warning came as imagery obtained by the International Institute of Strategic Studies released on Wednesday to The National revealed the construction of seven silos storing advanced new missiles in southern Iran.