Despite maintaining that its nuclear programme is for peaceful, civilian purposes only, Iran is thought to possess enough weapons-grade-level uranium to make several nuclear bombs.

And the country's foreign minister has now suggested Tehran could shift its focus to possessing its own weapons after threats of reimposed sanctions from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog.

Ahead of a meeting to discuss Iran's nuclear programme with European countries, Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the country does have the knowledge and ability to create nuclear weapons.

He also suggested that internal debate was raging over whether the current position - that nuclear weapons don't form part of the country's security strategy - was "insufficient in practice", something he said would be confirmed if the UN does reimpose the sanctions that were lifted in 2015 after Iran signed a deal limiting its nuclear activities, the Guardian reports.

Mr Araghchi said he was "not optimistic" about the meeting, because: "I am not sure whether 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 locations the leadership has not declared as nuclear sites earlier this month.

A censure motion put forward by France, Germany and Britain was passed by the IAEA on November 21 saying Iran had failed to cooperate with inspectors and was building a stockpile that had no peaceful purpose.

Mr Araghchi said the country had "decided to introduce thousands of new, highly advanced machines into the system and feed them with gas" as a result of the "pressure", but added: "We have no intention to go further than 60% for the time being."

"I would like to re-emphasise that we have chosen the line of cooperation in order to come to a dignified resolution of this problem," the foreign minister said.

It comes after spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry Esmail Baghaei warned that while the country "rejects weapons of mass destruction", it will use them "to the extent necessary" to defend itself.

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

And he added that Iran president Masoud Pezeshkian's government would continue supplying weapons to Hezbollah if necessary, suggesting that Israel had only agreed to a ceasefire in the region because it could not "finish the job".

A 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah fighters came into force this week, with both sides moving out of southern Lebanon. The agreement, which was brokered by the US and France, is aimed at providing a permanent end to the conflict, according to President Joe Biden.

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