IRAN’S intelligence minister claimed on Sunday that Tehran had seized an “important treasury” of information regarding Israel’s nuclear programme, ahead of a week in which the Islamic Republic could face new diplomatic pressure over its own.

The remarks by Esmail Khatib follow Iranian state television claiming on Saturday that Iranian intelligence officials seized documents, again without any evidence. 

Israel, whose undeclared atomic weapons programme makes it the only country in the Middle East with nuclear bombs, has not acknowledged any such Iranian operation targeting it — though there have been arrests of Israelis allegedly spying for Tehran.

Iran, meanwhile, will likely face censure this week from the board of governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency over longstanding questions about its programme.

Iran has also signalled that it will reject a proposal from the United States following five rounds of negotiations over its nuclear programme — setting the stage for a potential spike in that long-running spectacle too.

Responding to questions from an Iranian state TV reporter on Sunday after a Cabinet meeting, Mr Khatib said that members of the Intelligence Ministry “achieved an important treasury of strategic, operational and scientific intelligence of the zionist regime and it was transferred into the country with God’s help.”

He claimed that thousands of pages of documents had been obtained and insisted they would be made public soon.

Among them were documents related to the US, Europe and other countries, he claimed, obtained through “infiltration” and “access to the sources.”

Iran now enriches uranium up to 60 per cent purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Tehran reportedly has enough highly enriched uranium to build multiple atomic bombs if it chooses to do so.

Without a deal, the US may carry out long-threatened air raids targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.