Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday revealed a cache of files he claims were obtained from Iran and prove Tehran ran a secret program to build nuclear weapons.

Iranian leaders have long said their nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. But Netanyahu on Monday revealed tens of thousands of pages of documents, which he said were copied from a “highly secret location” in Iran and detailed an effort to build nuclear arms.

He said the evidence provided “new and conclusive proof of the secret nuclear weapons program that Iran has been hiding for years from the international community in its secret atomic archive.”

The existence of Iran’s nuclear weapons program is widely accepted fact. Revelations about that program are what marshaled international support for a tough series of sanctions against Iran, which ultimately led to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Netanyahu’s remarks come less than two weeks before U.S. President Donald Trump must decide whether to continue suspending sanctions against Iran, or restore the penalties on one of the world’s biggest oil producers.

The Obama administration negotiated the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 along with China, France, Germany, Russia and the U.K. The accord lifted a series of sanctions against Iran in exchange for Tehran accepting limits on its nuclear program and allowing international investigators access to its facilities.

The International Atomic Energy Agency and the signatories to the agreement have repeatedly confirmed that Iran is complying with the deal as it is written.

But the Trump administration and foreign policy hawks have long argued that the accord itself is flawed. Last year, the White House announced a major policy shift aimed at working with U.S. lawmakers and European partners to toughen the nuclear deal.

In January, Trump waived sanctions against Iran, but said he would not suspend them when the next deadline arrived on May 12 unless the United States and Europe had agreed on a path forward. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Trump: "Let's make Iran great again"

The US will impose "major" additional sanctions on Iran in a bid to prevent the country obtaining nuclear weapons, President Donald Trump says.

He said economic pressure would be maintained unless the leadership in Tehran changed course.

"We're putting additional sanctions on," he told reporters. "In [some] cases we are moving rapidly."

It comes after Iran announced it would exceed internationally agreed limits on its nuclear programme.

The limit on its stockpile of enriched uranium was set under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. In return, relevant sanctions were lifted, allowing Iran to resume oil exports - the government's main source of revenue.

But the US pulled out of the deal last year and reinstated sanctions. This triggered an economic meltdown in Iran, pushing the value of its currency to record lows and driving away foreign investors.

Iran has responded by scaling back its commitments under the nuclear deal.

"If Iran wants to become a prosperous nation... it's OK with me," Mr Trump said. "But they're never going to do it if they think in five or six years they're going to have nuclear weapons."

"Let's make Iran great again," he added, echoing his campaign slogan from the 2016 presidential election.

In a later tweet, Mr Trump said the "major additional sanctions" would come into force on Monday.

President Trump may have had second thoughts about carrying out a military strike against Iran, but he is set to toughen economic sanctions - the very policy that has helped bring the two countries to the brink of war.

Iran's economy is suffering badly and it is threatening to breach some of the terms of the nuclear agreement it reached with the major powers.

Mr Trump is also calling for negotiations with Iran. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offered talks with no conditions, save that Iran start behaving like "a normal nation".

But Tehran dismissed this as "wordplay". Mr Trump's new sanctions will do nothing to reduce these tensions.

A diplomatic "off-ramp" in this crisis seems as elusive as ever.

How have US sanctions hit Iran?

The reinstatement of US sanctions last year - particularly those imposed on the energy, shipping and financial sectors - caused foreign investment to dry up and hit oil exports.

The sanctions bar US companies from trading with Iran, but also with foreign firms or countries that are dealing with Iran.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC's James Landale went to Tehran's Grand Bazaar see what people think of the stringent sanctions

This has led to shortages of imported goods and products that are made with raw materials from abroad, most notably babies' nappies.

The plunging value of the rial has also affected the cost of locally produced staples such as meat and eggs, which have soared in price.

Iran has responded to the economic pressure by violating some of the nuclear deal's commitments. It has also accused European countries of failing to live up to their promises of protecting Iran's economy from US sanctions.

What is the bigger picture?

President Trump's announcement that additional sanctions will be imposed on Iran comes at a time of escalating tensions between the two countries.

On Thursday, an unmanned US drone was shot down by Iranian forces in the Gulf.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the drone's downing was a "clear message" to the US that Iran's borders were "our red line".

But US military officials maintain the drone was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz at the time.

Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a high-ranking officer in the IRGC, said another military aircraft, carrying 35 passengers, had been flying close to the drone. "We could have shot down that one too, but we did not," he said.

The shooting down of the drone followed accusations by the US that Iran had attacked two oil tankers with mines just outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr Trump has said he does not want war with Iran, but warned it it would face "obliteration" if conflict broke out. </s> Washington: US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he will impose additional sanctions against Iran in an effort to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, adding that military action was still a possibility.

Trump, who was speaking to reporters at the White House, made his comments after recently calling off military action against Iran to retaliate for the downing of a US military drone.

"We are putting additional sanctions on Iran," Trump said. "In some cases we are going slowly, but in other cases we are moving rapidly."

Trump said he would be Iran's "best friend" and that the Islamic republic could be a "wealthy" country if it renounced nuclear weapons.

"We're not going to have Iran have a nuclear weapon," Trump told reporters as he prepared to depart for Camp David for meetings on the situation with Iran. "When they agree to that, they're going to have a wealthy country. They're going to be so happy, and I'm going to be their best friend. I hope that happens. Let's make Iran great again."

Trump disclosed on Friday that he called off a US military strike on Iran at the last minute, saying it would be a disproportionate response to Thursday's downing of the unmanned US aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz.

"Everyone was saying I'm a war-monger, and now they say I'm a dove," Trump said on Saturday as he was peppered with questions about the Iran drama.

"I think I am neither, if you want to know the truth. I'm a man with common sense, and that's what we need in this country, is common sense." </s> With these concerns in mind, the U.S. State Department said Thursday that Iran’s test launch violated UN Security Council resolutions, as well as the spirit of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran, the U.S., and five other world powers. Under the agreement, the U.S. administration is required to report to Congress on the status of Iran’s nuclear program every 90 days. A day before the rocket launch, Trump warned Iran that it could face “big, big problems” if it violated the deal.

The U.S. has imposed a new round of sanctions on six Iranian firms with ties to Iran’s ballistic-missile program, the Treasury Department announced Friday. The sanctions arrived one day after the Iranian state media said Iran had successfully launched an advanced satellite-carrying rocket into space—one that uses much of the same technology as a long-range ballistic missile. Last month, Pentagon experts claimed the rocket used Thursday—known as the Simorgh—could “shorten a pathway” to developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

While announcing the sanctions on Friday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called the rocket launch “provocative,” adding that the U.S. held “deep concerns with Iran’s continued development and testing of ballistic missiles.” All six firms sanctioned on Friday are either owned or controlled by the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, an organization described by Treasury Department as “central” to the Iranian missile program. The department said the firms are responsible for manufacturing missile components—including liquid propellant, airframes, engines, and guidance and control systems—and conducting missile-related research.

While the U.S. has long feared that Iran is using its missile technology to advance its nuclear capabilities, the JCPOA does not expressly prohibit Iran from conducting missile tests. On Friday, the nation’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, defended the actions of the Iranian space program on Twitter, arguing that it does not develop missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons. “Iran—unlike the U.S.—has complied in good faith with the letter and spirit of JCPOA,” Zarif said, adding that the nation “is not and will not be developing nuclear weapons; so by definition cannot develop anything designed to be capable of delivering them.” The United States’s “rhetoric and actions” on Friday “show[ed] bad faith,” he said.

Indeed, the Trump administration carries a number of reservations about whether Iran has been fully compliant with the JCPOA. Earlier this week, Trump certified that Iran had not violated the deal, but suggested to his aides that he might deny the certification in the future. He later told the Wall Street Journal he would be “surprised” if Iran passed its next review, saying: “If it was up to me, I would have had them noncompliant 180 days ago.” Senior U.S. officials recently told the Associated Press that the Trump administration is pushing for inspections of Iranian military sites, but must first obtain convincing evidence of illicit activity. Trump has also expressed interest in extending the JCPOA—which he once called “the worst deal ever”—beyond its expiration date.

In the meantime, the administration has communicated its concern in the form of sanctions. Earlier this month, the U.S. sanctioned a group of 18 Iranian entities and individuals, including two organizations with alleged ties to the nation’s ballistic-missile program. This week, Congress also approved a sanctions bill targeting Iran, Russia, and North Korea. In order to pass the bill, Trump must agree to a large check on his power that prevents him from loosening or rolling back sanctions without Congress’s approval. The bill now awaits the president’s signature, with the White House offering mixed signals as to whether Trump will sign. </s> Senior diplomats from Iran and five world powers are meeting in Vienna on May 25 to try to prevent the 2015 nuclear deal from collapsing after the United States pulled out of the agreement and reinstated sanctions against Iran this month.

Iranian leaders have said they will uphold their side of the deal, which involves strict curbs on their nuclear program, if Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China uphold theirs by making sure that Iran can keep doing business with the world, despite the revived U.S. sanctions.

"It won't be easy, but we'll try," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said ahead of the talks.

Iranian ministers are under orders from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to seek guarantees from the Europeans for Iranian oil sales and trade, as well as their agreement to spurn U.S. efforts to negotiate a stronger and broader deal with Tehran.

Khamenei laid out a series of conditions on May 23 that he said must be met for Iran to stay in the deal.

The European powers are expected to highlight EU efforts to legally shield European companies that have established ties with Iran from the U.S. sanctions so they can continue doing business in Iran.

Diplomats said the European Union is trying to make sure that such businesses are not affected in particular by U.S. sanctions prohibiting Iran from using the U.S. dollar or U.S. financial institutions to transact business.

Iranian officials are expected to carefully scrutinize the package of measures EU officials have cobbled together to try to counter the U.S. sanctions.

Some European officials have been openly skeptical that the measures will be effective in keeping businesses from fleeing Iran. Several major corporations, including France's Total and Germany's Allianz, already have announced they are leaving unless they receive exemptions from the U.S. sanctions.

"I think this is a moment of truth for the Europeans," EU chief diplomat Federica Mogherini said this week.

The meeting of foreign ministers is the first since U.S. President Donald Trump on May 8 abandoned the deal, formally named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which originally provided near-universal sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear activities.

In pullng out, Trump argued that the agreement would not stop Iran from eventually developing atomic warheads, and that it did nothing to check Iran's ballistic missile program or its involvement in regional conflicts in Yemen and Syria.

European and Russian leaders say the deal has accomplished its goal of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons while contributing to stability in the Middle East.

With reporting by dpa and Reuters </s> As tensions flare with Iran, Israel could strike first

(THE CONVERSATION) Iran shot down a U.S. drone on June 19, further escalating tensions between Iran and its adversaries.

Relations with Iran have been worsening for months. In early May, one year after the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal negotiated in 2015 between Iran, the U.S., the European Union and five other countries, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that his country may also withdraw from the agreement, which limits its ability to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for lifting sanctions.

In June, Rouhani announced that Iran will restarturanium enrichment, which could put the country on track to develop a nuclear weapon within a year. Rouhani’s government insists its uranium will go to civilian nuclear power, not weapons.

As a “deterrent” to Iran, the United States is sending an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East.

The U.S. is not the only country considering a military response in Iran.

“Israel will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 17. Netanyahu also said Iran must be punished for violating the nuclear agreement.

Israel, which has faced threats to its national security since its founding as a Jewish homeland in the Middle East in 1948, is known to take aggressive, preventive action to protect itself – including by launching preemptive strikes on neighboring nations it perceives as threatening.

If international relations with Iran grow more volatile, Israel could take dramatic, unilateral action against its neighbor and longtime adversary.

I’m an international security scholar who studies Israel’s proactive use of its military to prevent nuclear buildup in the Middle East.

Israel has a counterproliferation policy, called the Begin Doctrine, which allows it to wage preventive strikes against enemies with weapons of mass destruction programs. Using the Begin Doctrine as a justification for preemptive strikes, the Israeli government has for decades quietly decimated nuclear and chemical facilities across the Middle East.

When President Saddam Hussein’s potential nuclear military ambitions raised concerns in 1981, the Israeli government destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor in a surprise attack called Operation Opera.

“On no account shall we permit an enemy to develop weapons of mass destruction against the people of Israel,” a government release stated at the time. “We shall defend the citizens of Israel in good time and with all the means at our disposal.”

In 2007, Israel responded to Syria’s failure to report its uranium processing by striking a nuclear reactor in the Deir ez-Zor region. The United States, which was reportedly informed ahead of the attack, made no effort to stop Israel.

Israel has also been accused of sponsoring the assassinations of at least four Iranian nuclear scientists since 2010. The incidents have never been fully investigated, and Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the targeted killings.

Israel has also deterred nuclear proliferation in the Mideast using less lethal, more high tech strategies.

In 2008 and 2009, Israel used computer malware called Stuxnet to disrupt Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The program infected the software that controlled centrifuge speed at the Natanz nuclear plant, alternately speeding up and slowing down the machines that produce enriched uranium to cripple production of the material. The Obama administration secretly supported the cyberattacks.

Though the United States, United Nations and other world powers officially condemned some of these unprovoked Israeli military aggression, other preemptive Israeli attacks have been met with silence from the international community.

The international community may even appreciate Israel’s role as a nuclear nonproliferation watchdog in the Middle East, my research suggests. Israel has never been punished for attacking its neighbors’ weapons programs.

Decades after Israel’s 1981 attack on Iraq’s nuclear plant, President Bill Clinton called it “a really good thing.”

“It kept Saddam Hussein from developing nuclear power,” he said at the 2005 Davos World Economic Forum.

“But it’s not clear to me they have that option in Iran,” he added.

That was 14 years ago. In 2005, Iran was just beginning its nuclear buildup.

Today, Israel’s government seems strong in its belief that it has the option to strike Iran.

Iran’s Islamic fundamentalist government is openly hostile to Israel. Citing fears that Iran would use nuclear weapons against Israel, Netanyahu has warned, “Iranian acquisition of nuclear weapons would be infinitely more costly than any scenario you can imagine to stop it.”

He told Iran and other adversaries not to “test” Israel.

If the nuclear deal ruptures further and Iran does restarting uranium enrichment, Israel might launch targeted airstrikes against it.

History suggests other countries are unlikely to actively deter Israeli military aggression in the guise of nuclear nonproliferation.

The Trump administration has expressed anti-Iranian sentiment and is a staunch backer of Netanyahu’s government.

And while European powers will recognize preemptive Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities as a violation of international law and of the sovereignty of Israel’s neighbors, they also see Iran’s nuclear program as a grave global security concern.

A nuclear Iran could escalate ongoing Middle East conflicts into nuclear exchanges, and, as some commentators say, spur other regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Egypt to develop nuclear weapons themselves.

Of course, potential Israeli attacks on Iran present their own serious risks. Because most of Iran’s reactors are in full operations, air strikes may mean cutting off the power supply to Iranian citizens and could release large amounts of radioactive contaminants into the air.

Iran, a militarily well-equipped country, would surely retaliate against any Israeli attacks. That, too, would trigger a conflict that would spiral throughout the Middle East.

Of course, Israel faced similar dangers when it went after the weapons programs of Syria, Iraq and other neighbors.

If history is any guide, Israel may strike Iran while the world quietly watches.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/as-tensions-flare-with-iran-israel-could-strike-first-119146. </s> On Monday, Iran told the world that it had accumulated more low-enriched uranium than it was allowed to have under a landmark 2015 nuclear deal it had signed with the United States and five other countries. The deliberate violation of the provisions of that agreement, Iran has said, was in response to the reimposition of economic and other sanctions by the US after it unilaterally pulled out of the deal last year.

Iran’s latest move has put further strains on an already precarious agreement that seeks to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons in exchange for the easing of economic sanctions. But Iran has kept the room open for negotiations, saying its move was “reversible”.

What is enriched uranium, and how much has Iran accumulated?

Uranium is the most common fuel used in nuclear reactors, and is required for nuclear electricity generation as well as to make nuclear weapons. On the other hand, naturally occurring uranium, which is predominantly composed of a stabler isotope, uranium-238, is not fissionable, meaning its nucleus cannot be split in a way that can sustain a chain reaction. To be used in nuclear reactors, natural uranium has to be ‘enriched’ with uranium-235 that can sustain fission chain reactions. Naturally occurring uranium has less than 1% of the uranium-235 isotope.

Even a small amount of enrichment, in the range of 3% to 5%, called “low enrichment”, is sufficient to run nuclear power reactors which allow only controlled fission reactions. For making nuclear weapons, however, “highly enriched” uranium — with more than 90% uranium-235 — is needed. More enrichment means more uranium-235 nuclei are available to be split, which in turn means greater heat and energy can be generated.

Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran is required to ensure that, for the next 15 years, its stockpile of uranium is not enriched beyond 3.67%. Further, this stockpile of 3.67% enriched uranium itself is not supposed to exceed 300 kg.

It is this 300-kg limit that Iran has now said it has exceeded. However, it has not specified how much more low-enriched uranium it has created. Iran has also said that its next step would be to enrich uranium beyond the 3.67% limit.

Under what circumstances was the deal with Iran signed?

The deal signed in July 2015 was an attempt by the US and other major world powers to ensure that Iran did not acquire nuclear weapons, which it has been suspected of trying to do for several years now. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is a sort of an international regulatory body on nuclear energy, had in 2003 reported the possibility of Iran secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons at one of its nuclear facilities. That had invited economic sanctions from the US and other countries.

After protracted negotiations that lasted over a decade, Iran and the US reached an agreement to restrict Tehran’s nuclear programme to only civilian uses in exchange for lifting of the sanctions. Apart from the US, the other parties to the deal are Russia, the UK, France, China and Germany, together called the P5+1.

The complex agreement specifies a large number of steps that Iran needs to take and requirements that it needs to meet to keep the economically crippling sanctions away. Most of the provisions of this agreement are supposed to run for the next 15 years, but some, like international monitoring of Iran’s uranium mines and mills, or of its nuclear power production facilities, are meant to be in force for the next 25 years.

In return, the US agreed to cease its sanctions against Iran’s oil and banking sector, allowing their re-entry into the international systems. It also allowed the sale of commercial passenger aircraft to Iran, which had been put on hold. The UN and European Union also eased their own sanctions on Iran.

So, why did the US withdraw from the deal and reimpose sanctions?

The agreement was negotiated when the Barack Obama administration was in power in the US. Current President Donald Trump has never shied away from expressing his discomfort with the deal, which he claims, was detrimental to the American interests. The Trump administration has advocated tougher provisions in the agreement, particularly with regard to the expiry dates on restrictions related to uranium enrichment. It does not want these restrictions to have any end-date.

After its offer to renegotiate the deal did not find acceptance from Iran, the US withdrew from the deal last year. It also slapped fresh sanctions on Iran. The five other countries, however, continued to be parties to the deal, thereby weakening the impact of US sanctions. However, these sanctions were still damaging enough for Iran to finally respond after a year.

What happens to the deal now?

Iran’s defiance of the provisions of the agreement is being seen as largely a bargaining ploy in its ongoing confrontation with the US, especially since it has explicitly said that it was open to reversing its decision if the sanctions against it were lifted. It is being seen as an attempt to put pressure on the other parties to convince the US of the need to keep the agreement, however fragile, in place. The Trump administration, however, has maintained a hardened stance towards Iran, and, in the absence of a diplomatic breakthrough, this could result in the unravelling of the deal. </s> The Trump administration lashed out at some of America's closest traditional allies on Thursday, accusing Britain, France and Germany of trying to bust U.S. sanctions against Iran and calling on European nations to join the United States in withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal.

In an unusually blunt speech to a Middle East conference in Poland, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence slammed the three countries and the European Union as a whole for remaining parties to the landmark 2015 agreement after President Donald Trump withdrew from it last year and re-imposed tough sanctions on Iran.

The harsh criticism threatened to further chill U.S.-European ties that are already badly strained over numerous issues, including the Iran focus of the Warsaw conference co-hosted by the U.S. and Poland.

France and Germany had declined to send their top diplomats to the ministerial-level meeting. E.U. foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also stayed away due to concerns it would become an anti-Iran vehicle. Britain, France and Germany, along with the rest of the E.U., continue to support the nuclear deal as the best way to prevent Iran from developing atomic weapons.

Pence was especially critical of Britain, France and Germany for unveiling a new financial mechanism last month that U.S. officials believe is intended to keep the nuclear deal alive by evading American sanctions. Pence praised other nations for complying with U.S. sanctions by reducing Iranian oil imports, but said the Europeans fell short.

"Sadly, some of our leading European partners have not been nearly as cooperative," Pence said. "In fact, they have led the effort to create mechanisms to break up our sanctions."

He said the mechanism, a barter-type payment system that is designed to allow businesses to skirt direction financial transactions with Iran, is "an effort to break American sanctions against Iran's murderous regime."

"It's an ill-advised step that that will only strengthen Iran, weaken the E.U., and create still more distance between Europe and the United States," the vice president said.

Pence then called for Europe to abandon the nuclear agreement altogether, making explicit a demand that Trump administration officials had previously only hinted at.

"The time has come for our European partners to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and join with us as we bring the economic and diplomatic pressure necessary to give the Iranian people, the region and the world the peace security and freedom they deserve," he said.

There was no immediate reaction to Pence's comments from the E.U. or any of the countries he mentioned by name.

However, Britain, France and Germany have defended the new payment system as necessary to preserve the Iran accord, under which Iran was granted billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

The European countries are also unlikely to withdraw from the agreement, a signature foreign policy achievement of the Obama administration. Their governments have repeatedly expressed support for it since Trump declared the U.S. would pull out.

The U.N.'s atomic watchdog and Trump's own intelligence chiefs have said Iran remains in compliance with the agreement despite the U.S. withdrawal.

Pence, however, said Iran's adherence to the deal's terms is irrelevant. He said the accord was fatally flawed to begin with as it does not prevent Iran from obtaining the technology or material to eventually develop a nuclear weapon over time.

"Compliance is not the issue; the deal is the issue," he said, calling Iran the "single greatest threat" to security in the Middle East.

Iran was not invited to the Warsaw conference and called the event a "circus" aimed at "demonizing" the country.

Because of European reluctance to attend a conference focused only on Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other U.S. officials had sought to broaden the scope to include other Middle East topics. The schedule included sessions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Syria, Yemen, cybercrime and terrorism.

"No one country will dominate the discussion today, nor will any one issue dominate our talks", Pompeo said during the opening of the conference,

But Pence's comments, as well as earlier remarks by Pompeo, made clear the meeting was largely focused on isolating Iran.

Before the event opened, Pompeo met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said, "You can't achieve peace and stability in the Middle East without confronting Iran. It's just not possible."

Pence opened his keynote address to the conference by lauding the Trump administration's commitment to fighting "radical Islamic terrorism," a term he used in some form at least seven times.

He hailed gains made against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, where ISIS is being ousted from its last remaining areas of control. Despite Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw American troops from Syria, Pence said the U.S. would remain present in the region to ensure the militant organization does not return.

"We will continue to hunt down the remnants of ISIS wherever and whenever they rear their ugly head," he said.

No matter what the Poland conference yields on Syria, the future of the country was more likely to be determined at a Thursday meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the presidents of Iran and Turkey

The three leaders were in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi to discuss a Syria peace settlement, as expectations mount for an imminent and final defeat of the Islamic State group ahead of the U.S. pullout. </s> WASHINGTON — In a test of resolve and credibility for the United States and Iran, the two adversaries have taken steps sure to further inflame tensions in the Mideast and draw them closer to a flashpoint.

Iran announced it was breaking compliance with the international agreement that keeps it from making nuclear weapons and the Trump administration followed by ordering 1,000 more troops to the Middle East.

The Pentagon said Monday that the deployment includes security forces and troops for additional surveillance and intelligence-gathering. It represents an escalation of American military might aimed at deterring Iran and calming allies worried about the safety of strategic shipping lanes.

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Iran soon could start enriching uranium to a step away from weapons-grade levels. That's a challenge to President Donald Trump's assurances to allies that the U.S. withdrawal from the deal last year made the world a safer place.

Iran's president said that while "we do not wage war with any nation," the entire country "is unanimous in confronting" U.S. pressures. "The end of this battle will see victory of the Iranian nation," Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday.

Iran said it would not abide by a limit on uranium stockpiles established under the 2015 agreement, which was intended to restrict the Islamic Republic's nuclear program in exchange for an easing of international sanctions.

After Trump withdrew from the deal signed by President Barack Obama, he reinstated stiff economic sanctions, leaving the European and other partners in the accord struggling to keep Iran on board.

The U.S. now finds itself in the awkward position of demanding that Iran comply with a deal that Trump derides as the worst in history.

"We continue to call on the Iranian regime not to obtain a nuclear weapon, to abide by their commitments to the international community," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.

The U.S. accuses Iran of attacking two tankers near the Persian Gulf; the Iranians deny responsibility. With details murky and no one owning up to the attacks, the Pentagon released new photos intended to bolster its case.

In announcing the new deployment, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the forces are "for defensive purposes to address air, naval, and ground-based threats" in the Mideast.

"The United States does not seek conflict with Iran," Shanahan said, describing the move as intended "to ensure the safety and welfare of our military personnel working throughout the region and to protect our national interests."

He said the U.S. will continue to adjust troop levels as needed.

Russia urged restraint by all parties and worries that the additional American forces could "bring in extra tensions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Some supporters of the multinational nuclear deal blamed the Trump administration for Iran's provocative announcements, saying they were predictable given the renewed U.S. pressure.

"While Iran's frustration with Trump's reckless and irresponsible pressure campaign is understandable, we strongly urge Iran to remain in compliance with the nuclear deal," the Arms Control Association said in a statement. "It remains in Iran's interests to abide by the limits of the agreement."

Iran has shown no willingness to negotiate another deal and has pledged not enter into talks with the United States while the administration keeps up the pressure with sanctions.

Administration officials are struggling with whether to press the remaining parties to the deal, including Britain, France and Germany, to demand that Iran stay in compliance. They must also consider whether such a stance would essentially concede that the restrictions imposed during the Obama administration are better than none.

Under the deal, Iran can keep a stockpile of no more than 660 pounds (300 kilograms) of low-enriched uranium. Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Iran's atomic agency, said it would pass that limit June 27.

A senior U.S. official said the U.S. is most concerned about any violation of the deal that would reduce the time Iran would need to produce a nuclear weapon. The deal aimed to keep that "breakout time" at one year.

The official said certain violations would not necessarily reduce that time. But other violations, such as enriching uranium to 20%, should be addressed immediately if they occur, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to meet this week with the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, a leading deal proponent.

Pompeo, a leading critic of the deal while he was in Congress, has said Iranian compliance is not really an issue because the administration sees the agreement as fundamentally flawed.

Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
The United States announces "major" sanctions against Iran to prevent them from obtaining nuclear weapons.