Iran has boosted its production of highly enriched uranium after a slowdown earlier this year, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said in a report on Tuesday, according to Reuters and the Associated Press.

Iran is currently enriching uranium up to 60%, which is reaching the 90% needed for weapons, at its Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) in the Natanz complex and at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP).

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in the report that Iran had "increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous output reduction from mid-2023."

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The U.N. nuclear watchdog said its inspectors had verified the increased rate of production since the end of November at the facilities to about 9 kilograms per month, up from 3 kilograms per month since June and representing a return to earlier levels of production, according to the Associated Press. 

Enriching uranium means increasing the percentage of uranium-235, the isotope of uranium that can be used in nuclear fission.

Weapons require 90% purity, but the level Iran has reached far exceeds the 20% it produced prior to the 2015 nuclear deal, meaning the country has far exceeded the 3.67% cap the deal had mandated. Iran gradually abandoned those limits after the U.S. withdrew from the accord and imposed sanctions.

IRAN REPORTEDLY ENRICHING URANIUM AT 60% PURITY AT UNDERGROUND FORDOW FACILITY

If enriched further, Iran could make three nuclear bombs, according to the IAEA's theoretical definition, and more at lower enrichment levels, Reuters reports. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful with treating and preventing the spread of cancer as one of its objectives. 

Many diplomats believed the slowdown, which had begun by June, was the result of secret talks between the United States and Iran that led to the release of U.S. citizens held in Iran earlier this year, according to Reuters. 

The news comes two weeks after Iran’s foreign minister warned that the war in Gaza could lead to a "big explosion" of conflicts in the Middle East, with Lebanon and Yemen already "involved" and more countries poised to join. 

Militant groups have launched a at least 90 attacks against U.S. bases and troops in the Middle East since Oct. 17. Meanwhile, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, which control a large part of Yemen, have also attacked several commercial vessels with drones and ballistic missiles in recent weeks leading to heightened tensions in the region. 

On Christmas Day, three U.S. service members were injured in Iraq when Iran-affiliated Kataib Hezbollah terrorists attacked Erbil Air Base, according to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin.

Fox News’ Peter Aitken, the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

A new study suggests getting that cute dog in one's more mature years might be a good idea after all. 

Researchers from the Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, found that pet ownership can be associated with slower rates of developing dementia. 

The study, published on Tuesday in JAMA Network Open, determined that owning a pet made a difference in verbal memory and fluency among adults who lived alone.

NEW STUDY SHOWS THE EFFECT OWNING PETS HAS ON OWNERS' BRAINS

The study's author, professor Ciyong Lu, said in the study that slower rates of declining verbal memory and fluency were seen in those who lived alone — but not in those who lived with others.

"Pet ownership offset the associations between living alone and declining rates [of] verbal memory and verbal fluency," he said. 

The research involved more than 7,900 participants over the age of 50, with roughly 35% of them owning pets and 27% of them living alone.

In the study, Lu said that those living alone with a pet showed slower rates of developing signs of dementia.

DOG OWNER GOOD NEWS: PETTING YOUR DOG MAY LEAD TO STRONGER MEMORY AND BETTER PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

"These findings suggest that pet ownership may be associated with slower cognitive decline among older adults living alone," he said.

"Contrary to living alone," the authors also wrote, "pet ownership (for example, raising dogs and cats) is related to reduced loneliness, an important risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline."

Lu said that clinical trials will be necessary in order to confirm the study's findings.

Currently, more than 55 million people worldwide have dementia — with nearly 10 million new cases each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 

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Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, which is currently the 7th leading cause of death, the WHO also notes. 

Early symptoms of dementia include forgetfulness, being confused, losing track of time, misjudging distances, feeling anxious, personality changes, inappropriate behavior and more.

There is currently no cure for dementia or for someone developing signs of dementia, but the WHO suggests that staying active and continuing to stimulate the brain may help.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Lu for further comment. 

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