Iran has asked Interpol to help arrest a suspect in a sabotage attack on itsIran has asked Interpol to help arrest a suspect in a sabotage attack on its Natanz nuclear facility which it blames on Israel, a local newspaper reported Sunday. which it blames on Israel, a local newspaper reported Sunday.

Talks on Iran's nuclear programme aimed at salvaging a 2015 deal made "progress" Saturday, a day after Tehran said it had started producing uranium at 60 percent purity.

Iran said Friday it has begun producing uranium at 60 percent purity, in another breach of its commitments to the international community which is concerned about its nuclear programme.

Iran said Tuesday it will start enriching uranium up to 60 percent, state media reported, two days after an explosion it blamed on Israel damaged its enrichment plant in Natanz.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Israel Sunday on the first high-level visit from the new US administration, after talks restarted on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that talks in Vienna on rescuing a troubled 2015 nuclear deal had opened a "new chapter".

The United States is set to start talks with EU negotiators on Tuesday in Austria's capital Vienna aimed at salvaging an international agreement on Iran's nuclear programme, which Washington withdrew from in 2018.

Iran's daily new Covid-19 infections reached a four-month high on Monday, said the health ministry, as the capital Tehran was put on the highest virus risk level.

Iran and China are to sign a 25-year cooperation agreement later Saturday, Tehran's foreign ministry spokesperson Said Khatibzadeh said, as the US foes move closer together.

A bomb attack Sunday killed one person and wounded three in southeastern Iran, a state news agency reported, blaming a "terrorist group" linked to Tehran's enemies.

Iranian former president Mohammad Khatami came under fire on Saturday after expressing regret for the "suffering and sorrow" of the country's people, in rare public comments ahead of June elections.

Iran's leaders Saturday promised their people hit by economic hardship due to US sanctions and Covid-19 better times ahead on the first day of the Iranian New Year.