The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog says Iran doesn’t appear to be actively enriching uranium but that the agency has recently detected renewed movement at the country’s nuclear sites.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has firmly rejected direct negotiations with the US over Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, reiterating that Tehran will continue its uranium enrichment, calling it a sovereign right.

A deal regulating and monitoring Iran's nuclear activities has expired and deadlock looms over negotiations for a new agreement.

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog says Iran doesn’t appear to be actively enriching uranium but that the agency has recently detected renewed movement at the country’s nuclear sites.

Iran appears to be stepping up the rebuilding of its ballistic missile program, despite the reintroduction last month of United Nations sanctions that ban arms sales to the country and ballistic missile activity.

Since the end of September, Iran has reportedly received from China 2000 tons of sodium perchlorate, a missile fuel precursor, enough for roughly 500 ballistic missiles, CNN reported on Wednesday. In February, CNN reported the shipment of 1,000 tons of sodium perchlorate from China to Iran.

Since the IAF struck Iran’s nuclear facility at Taleghan 2 last October, there have been at least four developments in construction at the site.An Institute for Science and International Security report,

With the help of China, Tehran is importing a chemical precursor for its medium-range ballistic missiles despite recently imposed United Nations sanctions, CNN reported. The report assesses that Tehran “appears to be stepping up the rebuilding of its ballistic missile program” following the 12-day war with Israel in June.

More than a week after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, attention in Washington and the Gulf is quietly shifting eastward to another simmering question: How far has Iran advanced in rebuilding its nuclear program since the June strikes by Israel and the United States?

We will never negotiate our missile program, and no rational actor would disarm. We cannot stop uranium enrichment, and what cannot be achieved by war cannot be achieved through politics"

Iran has called on International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi to refrain from making “unfounded remarks” about the country’s nuclear program, emphasizing that the agency is fully aware of its peaceful nature.