MOSCOW/TEHRAN - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian leadership have affirmed their aligned positions on Iran's nuclear program during high-level talks in Tehran, while UN nuclear monitors express growing concerns over uranium enrichment levels [1][2].

During Tuesday's meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Lavrov discussed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 nuclear deal that the U.S. withdrew from in 2018 [1].

The diplomatic engagement comes as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports troubling developments. According to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, Iran continues to enrich uranium at approximately 7 kg per month to 60% purity, far exceeding commercial nuclear requirements [2].

'The significantly increased production and accumulation of highly enriched uranium by Iran, the only non-nuclear weapon state to produce such nuclear material, is of serious concern,' stated a confidential UN report [1].

While Iran maintains its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes, the IAEA notes that no other nation has enriched uranium to such levels without developing nuclear weapons [2]. The current enrichment level is approaching the 90% threshold required for nuclear weapons.

The meetings also covered regional issues including Syria, Afghanistan, and the Israel-Palestine conflict, reflecting the strengthening bilateral ties between Moscow and Tehran [1][2]. IAEA's Grossi has expressed intentions to visit Tehran next month for the first time in a year [2].