dubai backed into a corner by the west iran is ramping up uranium enrichment clamping down on dissent and deepening ties with russia in a challenge to the us and europerussian president vladimir putin heads to tehran next week to meet with irans leader his second trip abroad since sending troops into ukraine the surprise announcement came a day after the white house said tehran is preparing to send armed drones to russia for use in ukraine and before us president joe biden headed to israel and saudi arabiatehran severed from the global banking system by western sanctions wants to show it has alternatives talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal which eased sanctions on iran in return for curbs on its atomic program are at standstillpressures are mounting on the islamic republic with its economy shrinking and its people struggling with no relief in sighta look at the challenges facing iran and what it means for the worlda brewing nuclear crisisformer us president donald trump withdrew washington from the nuclear deal between tehran and world powers in 2018 and sought to squeeze iran economically until it returned to the negotiating table a defiant iran resumed prohibited nuclear workbiden took office with a promise to restore the deal then hardline cleric ebrahim raisi became irans leader and the nuclear talks have hit a stalematethe international atomic energy agency the un nuclear watchdog group reports that iran now has 43 kilograms over 94 12 pounds of uranium enriched to 60 a short step from weaponsgrade levels thats enough fissile material for a weapon if it chose to pursue one however iran would still need to design a bomb and a delivery system which likely would take months tehran is spinning more advanced centrifuges and has dismantled over two dozen iaea cameras monitoring its workiran insists its program is for peaceful purposes un experts and western intelligence agencies say iran had an organized military nuclear program through 2003experts say tehran increasingly sees a future without the nuclear accord known as the joint comprehensive plan of action or jcpoa setting the stage for a possible crisisthe iranians have come to the conclusion that the jcpoa is no longer serving their interests said ali vaez the international crisis groups iran project director iran cant guarantee the us wont again quit the pact and reimpose sanctions if a new president takes office in 2025that political risk is something no one wants to shoulder vaez addedthe stakes extend beyond iran israel its archrival and the sole nuclear power in the region has threatened military strikes on iranian nuclear facilitiesiran could enrich to 90 but that would be a very dramatic escalation and im pretty confident that would spark a military reaction said john krzyzaniak an iranian proliferation expert at the wisconsin project referring to weaponsgrade enrichment levelsirans intensifying crackdownin 2019 some believed that irans 40yearold revolution could be undone by a 50 fuel price increase and the countrys security forces responded ruthlessly to nationwide