UK warns nuclear threat from Iran "more advanced than ever before"

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has warned the threat from Iran's nuclear programme is "more advanced than ever before".

At the Manama Dialogue international security conference in Bahrain, the British foreign minister warned of Russian and Iranian threats to security in the Middle East, Daily Mail reports.

Mr Cleverly also called out Russia's use of Iran-supplied drones used to target civilians in Ukraine.

Ukraine's military this month provided evidence that Russia was using Iranian Mohajer-6 spy drones, capable of firing rockets, and is analysing "kamikaze" drones of possible Iranian origin that implode on impact.

The Foreign Secretary said: "Today the Iranian nuclear programme is more advanced than ever before and the regime has resorted to selling Russia the armed drones that are currently killing civilians in Ukraine.

"As their people demonstrate against decades of oppression, Iran's rulers are spreading bloodshed and destruction across the region and as far away as Kyiv.

"Britain is determined to work alongside out friends to counter the Iranian threat, interdict the smuggling of conventional arms, and prevent the regime from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability."

Iran and Russia have a complex historical relationship but today share a military and economic alliance motivated by mutual sanctions by Western nations.

Iran has been developing nuclear technology since 1957, backed at first by the American "Atoms for Peace" programme which provided adopters with nuclear technology in return for a commitment to only using it for civilian purposes.

Iran claims its nuclear programme is peaceful, enriching uranium to levels consistent with fuel needed for power plants.

But on Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) censured Iran over "insufficient cooperation" with its investigations into traces of uranium found at undeclared sites.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said at a press conference on Wednesday that there is "a mass of activity about which we don't know anything".

In 2015, Iran and several world powers signed an agreement to limit Iran's nuclear programme in return for relief on harsh sanctions.

President Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018, though both countries have since stated intentions to recover the original deal.