CAIRO, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Moscow and Tehran are stepping up cooperation on multiple fronts, particularly in nuclear energy and military operations, as Iran seeks a nuclear deal with Washington amid heightened regional tensions.

On Wednesday, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev said the two countries are exploring the construction of new nuclear power plant units in Iran. Speaking at a joint press conference in Tehran with Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad, Tsivilev emphasized that Russia is working "seriously" with Iran on peaceful nuclear energy.

"We are continuing the construction of the second and third units of the Bushehr nuclear power plant and are now discussing options for additional high-power and low-power units," Tsivilev said. "A joint working group will present its proposals for approval in three months."

Russia has been involved in the Bushehr plant, on Iran's southern coast, since signing a construction contract in 1995. The plant began feeding electricity into the national grid in September 2011. In 2014, Iran and Russia agreed to build two more reactors at Bushehr, with an option for six additional units at other sites. Construction began in March 2017. Most recently, in September 2025, the two countries signed a 25-billion-U.S.-dollar deal to build nuclear plants in southeastern Iran.

Meeting with Tsivilev, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran is "serious" about implementing its comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, describing relations with Moscow as entering a "new era." He said Tehran is moving quickly to carry out the agreement across sectors, including transportation, energy, agriculture, food, defense, and security, while criticizing "unilateral" policies by certain global powers.

Also on Wednesday, Iranian media reported that the Iranian and Russian naval forces are scheduled for a joint drill on Thursday in the Gulf of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean.

Drill spokesman Hassan Maqsoudlou said the exercises aim to strengthen maritime security and joint operations. Alexey Sergeev, commander of the Russian navy forces participating in the drill, described the relationship as "friendly and close," adding that cooperation helps address "many maritime and coastal challenges."

These developments come amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, to the Middle East to reinforce the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers, already in the region. The Gerald R. Ford and its escorts are currently in the mid-Atlantic, having left the Caribbean en route to the Gulf.

Diplomatic efforts are continuing alongside military posturing. Iran and the United States concluded a second round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva on Tuesday. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the talks were more "constructive" than the first round on Feb. 6 in Muscat. U.S. officials said progress was made, but "there are still a lot of details to discuss."

On Wednesday, Araghchi spoke by phone with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi. Araghchi emphasized Iran's aim to create a "preliminary and consistent" framework for future negotiations, while Grossi described the results as "positive" and reaffirmed the IAEA's readiness to support the process.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned that the United States will prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons "one way or the other." Speaking in Paris on Wednesday, Wright said, "They've been very clear about what they would do with nuclear weapons. It's entirely unacceptable."

Western officials say Iran now possesses uranium enriched to 60 percent, approaching weapons-grade levels, fueling concerns that Tehran could pursue nuclear weapons. Iran denies any such intent, insisting its program is solely for peaceful energy purposes.

Iranian officials also defend their decision to increase enrichment, citing the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear accord during Trump's first term. Under that agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran had agreed to cap uranium enrichment at 3.67 percent, a limit it has exceeded since Washington exited the deal in 2018.

Meanwhile, Israel is on heightened alert and assessing that a confrontation with Iran could begin "soon," state broadcaster Kan reported Wednesday, citing senior Israeli officials.

The report said Israel is maintaining a high level of readiness amid the possibility of a near-term U.S. strike on Iran, estimating that if launched, such an operation could develop into a weeks-long campaign.

"We are facing challenging days in relation to Iran," Boaz Bismuth, chairman of parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said in the Knesset, adding, "The public is preparing, the authorities are preparing."