Before Israeli strikes on Friday, Washington and Tehran had held several rounds of talks on Iran’s nuclear program, as concerns mounted about its rapid expansion.

Iran has significantly ramped up its nuclear program in recent years, after a landmark deal with world powers curbing its nuclear activities in exchange for sanction relief began to unravel in 2018 when the United States unilaterally withdrew.

As of mid-May, Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile was estimated at 9,247.6 kilograms — or more than 45 times the limit set out in the 2015 deal — according to the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Among its stockpiles, Iran has an estimated 408.6 kilograms enriched to up to 60 percent — just a short step from the 90% needed for a nuclear warhead.

The country now theoretically has enough near-weapons-grade material, if further refined, for about 10 nuclear bombs, according to the definition by the Vienna-based IAEA.

Iran, which vows to destroy Israel, has always denied any ambition to develop nuclear weapons, but its enrichment levels are far beyond any civilian purpose and the IAEA says it has obstructed inspectors from visiting its nuclear sites.

Below is a list of the country’s key nuclear sites, which are, at least officially, subject to regular inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog:

Natanz: About 250 kilometers (150 miles) south of Tehran, Natanz is Iran’s heavily bunkered main uranium enrichment site, whose existence was........

© The Times of Israel