"I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen," Trump told reporters when asked if Israel would attack Iran.

Earlier on Thursday, Iran vowed to "significantly" increase its output of enriched uranium in defiance of US demands ahead of a new round of nuclear talks, and amid reports of an imminent Israeli attack.

The announcement came after a UN nuclear watchdog resolution accused Iran of "non-compliance" with its obligations, prompting Israel to say the world must respond "decisively".

The United States, Israel and other Western countries have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, an accusation Tehran has categorically denied.

Uranium enrichment has emerged as the key point of contention in nuclear talks with the United States, with the next round due on Sunday in Oman.

"The necessary orders have been issued by the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation to launch a new enrichment centre in a secure location," said a joint statement from the organisation and the foreign ministry.

Iran will also be "replacing all of these first-generation machines with sixth-generation advanced machines" at the Fordow uranium enrichment plant south of Tehran, the organisation's spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said.

This means "our production of enriched material will increase significantly," he told state TV.

Iran's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami later slammed Thursday's resolution as "extremist" and "illegal", blaming the outcome on Israeli "influence".

He added that enrichment would begin at the new "invulnerable" site "as soon as the machines are installed".

The United States and Iran have held five rounds of talks since April to hammer out a new nuclear deal, replacing a 2015 accord that President Donald Trump abandoned during his first term in office.

Iran has threatened to target US military bases in the region in the event that the talks fail and conflict erupts.

Follow us on:

Facebook

Instagram

Whatsapp