From left to right, spokesman for Iran’s atomic agency Behrouz Kamalvandi, Iran’s government spokesman Ali Rabiei and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, attend a meeting in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 7, 2019. The deputy foreign minister says that his nation considers the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to be a “valid document” and seeks its continuation. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The latest on U.S.-Iran tensions (all times local):

Japan is expressing serious concern over Iran’s decision to increase uranium enrichment above the limit set by the 2015 nuclear agreement, urging Tehran to return to its earlier commitment.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura said Monday that Japan is “seriously concerned and closely watching” the development on the nuclear deal and increased tension in the Middle East.

Nishimura urged Iran to “immediately return to its commitment under the agreement and avoid any further steps that would undermine the nuclear agreement.”

Iran’s decision Sunday comes a year after the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal and has since imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil exports, escalating the tension.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Tehran for talks with Iranian leaders but did little to help deescalate the tension.

President Donald Trump is issuing a warning to Iran after its announcement that it has increased its uranium enrichment above the limit set by the nuclear deal that Tehran signed with world powers in 2015.

When asked about Iran on Sunday, Trump told reporters, “Iran better be careful.”

He wouldn’t elaborate on what action the U.S. might take, but said: “Iran’s doing a lot of bad things.”

Trump, who pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear agreement, spoke to reporters at an airport in New Jersey before returning to Washington after a weekend at one of his clubs.

Iran is moving closer toward having weapons-grade levels of uranium, but it’s also calling for a diplomatic solution to a crisis heightening tensions with the U.S.

Britain is warning Iran to “immediately stop and reverse all activities” violating the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

The British Foreign Office issued its warning Sunday, after Tehran’s announcement that it would break the 3.67% uranium enrichment limit set in the pact. The move comes after the U.S. withdrew from the agreement last year and restored crippling sanctions on Iran.

Britain’s Press Association quoted a ministry spokesman saying: “While the UK remains fully committed to the deal, Iran must immediately stop and reverse all activities inconsistent with its obligations.”

The spokesman said Britain is coordinating with other countries that are part of the accord “regarding the next steps under the terms of the deal, including a joint commission.”

The European Union says parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are discussing a possible emergency meeting after Iran’s announcement that it will overstep the accord’s limit on uranium enrichment.

EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said Sunday that the bloc is “extremely concerned” about Iran’s decision to ramp up enrichment beyond the 3.67 percent limit. She says the EU has warned Iran against such moves.

Amid growing tensions in the region, she told The Associated Press that the EU is in contact with other parties to the accord to discuss next steps, “including a joint commission.”

The agreement’s joint commission brings together officials from the participating nations — Iran, France, Germany, Britain, Russia, China and the EU. The U.S. pulled out of the accord last year.

The commission normally meets once a quarter, and its last regular meeting was in late June.

Germany says it is “extremely concerned” about Iran’s announcement that it will break the limit on uranium enrichment set by the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

The foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday that it is awaiting further information from the U.N. atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, after Iranian officials announced Tehran is ramping up the level of uranium enrichment beyond the 3.67% permitted under the deal.

Earlier this month, Iran increased its stockpile of low-enriched uranium beyond the cap set by the deal.

The ministry called for Iran “to stop and reverse all activities inconsistent with its commitments.” It said it is in contact with remaining parties to the deal regarding the next steps to try keep Iran within its terms.

The U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the deal a year ago.

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog says it is aware of Iran saying it will break the 2015 nuclear deal’s limit on uranium enrichment.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday that its inspectors in Iran will report to its Vienna headquarters “as soon as they verify the announced development.”

It did not elaborate.

Iranian officials announced on Sunday that the country is ramping up the level of uranium enrichment beyond the 3.67% permitted under the deal. Earlier this month, Iran increased its stockpile of low-enriched uranium beyond the cap set by the deal.

Iran’s moves have come in response to sweeping U.S. sanctions, imposed after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal a year ago.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling on world powers to impose “snapback sanctions” on Iran after it crossed the uranium threshold laid out in the faltering 2015 nuclear deal.

Netanyahu said Sunday that enriching uranium to such levels has only one purpose — to create atomic bombs.

He says Western leaders had vowed to impose sanction the moment the Islamic Republic crossed that threshold.

The Israeli leader has been one of the harshest critics of the nuclear deal. Israel considers Iran to be its most dangerous enemy because of its nuclear program and threats to destroy Israel.

Iran made its move amid heightened tensions and a year after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal.

Iran says its oil tanker that Britain intercepted in Gibraltar on Thursday was not headed toward Syria.

Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters on Sunday said the tanker’s “destination was not Syria.”

He said there was no law allowing authorities in Gibraltar to stop the tanker and it was “piracy”.

Authorities intercepted the supertanker Grace 1 on Thursday, saying they believed it to be violating European Union sanctions by carrying a shipment of Iranian crude oil to Syria. Spanish authorities said the seizure came at the request of the U.S.

It came amid heightened tensions over Iran’s unraveling 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which the U.S. withdrew from last year.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister says that his nation will take another step impacting its compliance with its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in 60 days.

Abbas Araghchi told a news conference Sunday that he cannot elaborate now on the nature of the next step.

Iranian officials also announced that the country is ramping up the level of uranium enrichment beyond the 3.67% permitted under the deal. Earlier this month, Iran increased its stockpile of low-enriched uranium beyond the cap set by the deal.

Despite such measures, Iran has reiterated it is open to diplomacy and that is in contact with European parties to the deal.

Araghchi says Iran considers the deal to be valid and wants to see it continue.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister says that his nation considers the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to be a “valid document” and seeks its continuation.

Abbas Araghchi spoke at a news conference Sunday where officials said Iran is ramping up the level of uranium enrichment beyond the 3.67% level permitted under the nuclear deal.

Officials said the new level will be determined by Iran’s needs, but did not provide specifics. They said the new level would be reached later Sunday and would show up in monitoring by Monday.

Even while breaking another limit of the 2015 deal, Iran appears to be signaling flexibility.

The deputy foreign minister says Iran is open to negotiations with Europe, and that the United States could join such talks.

An Iranian nuclear official says Iran will within hours go beyond the level of uranium enrichment permitted under an unraveling 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Under the deal, the cap for uranium enrichment was 3.67%.

The spokesman for Iran’s nuclear department, Behrouz Kamalvandi, told a news conference Sunday that technical preparations for the new level of enrichment will be completed “within several hours and enrichment over 3.67% will begin.”

He says monitoring will show the increased level by Monday morning.

Iran made the decision a year after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal.

Iran has repeatedly warned Europe in recent weeks that it would begin walking away from the accord because of a maximalist American campaign of sanctions blocking Tehran’s oil sales abroad and targeting its top officials.

Iran says it is raising its enrichment of uranium beyond the limit set by its unraveling 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Government spokesman Ali Rabiei told a news conference Sunday that “today we will pass” the permitted enrichment level of 3.67%, but did not provide details.

The decision comes a year after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal.

America since has imposed sanctions blocking Iranian crude oil from being sold on the world market.

In response, Iran on July 1 acknowledged breaking the deal’s 300-kilogram (661-pound) limit on its low-enriched uranium stockpile.

Experts warn higher enrichment and a growing stockpile narrows the one-year window Iran would need to have enough material for an atomic bomb, something Iran denies it wants but the deal prevented.

Iran appears poised to raise its enrichment of uranium and break another limit from its faltering 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Sunday marks the end of a deadline set by President Hassan Rouhani for Europe to find a way for Iran to get around American sanctions.

State TV reports officials are scheduled to hold a news conference Sunday to discuss their plans.

This comes a year after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal.

America since has imposed sanctions blocking Iranian crude oil from being sold on the world market. The U.S. also sanctioned top officials in the Islamic Republic, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In response, Iran on July 1 acknowledged breaking the deal’s 300-kilogram (661-pound) limit on its low-enriched uranium stockpile. </s> The Latest on U.S.-Iran tensions (all times local):

Iran's deputy foreign minister says that his nation considers the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to be a "valid document" and seeks its continuation.

Abbas Araghchi spoke at a news conference Sunday where officials said Iran is ramping up the level of uranium enrichment beyond the 3.67% level permitted under the nuclear deal.

Officials said the new level will be determined by Iran's needs, but did not provide specifics. They said the new level would be reached later Sunday and would show up in monitoring by Monday.

Even while breaking another limit of the 2015 deal, Iran appears to be signaling flexibility.

The deputy foreign minister says Iran is open to negotiations with Europe, and that the United States could join such talks.

An Iranian nuclear official says Iran will within hours go beyond the level of uranium enrichment permitted under an unraveling 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Under the deal, the cap for uranium enrichment was 3.67%.

The spokesman for Iran's nuclear department, Behrouz Kamalvandi, told a news conference Sunday that technical preparations for the new level of enrichment will be completed "within several hours and enrichment over 3.67% will begin."

He says monitoring will show the increased level by Monday morning.

Iran made the decision a year after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal.

Iran has repeatedly warned Europe in recent weeks that it would begin walking away from the accord because of a maximalist American campaign of sanctions blocking Tehran's oil sales abroad and targeting its top officials.

Iran says it is raising its enrichment of uranium beyond the limit set by its unraveling 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Government spokesman Ali Rabiei told a news conference Sunday that "today we will pass" the permitted enrichment level of 3.67%, but did not provide details.

The decision comes a year after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal.

America since has imposed sanctions blocking Iranian crude oil from being sold on the world market.

In response, Iran on July 1 acknowledged breaking the deal's 300-kilogram (661-pound) limit on its low-enriched uranium stockpile.

Experts warn higher enrichment and a growing stockpile narrows the one-year window Iran would need to have enough material for an atomic bomb, something Iran denies it wants but the deal prevented.

Iran appears poised to raise its enrichment of uranium and break another limit from its faltering 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Sunday marks the end of a deadline set by President Hassan Rouhani for Europe to find a way for Iran to get around American sanctions.

State TV reports officials are scheduled to hold a news conference Sunday to discuss their plans.

This comes a year after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal.

America since has imposed sanctions blocking Iranian crude oil from being sold on the world market. The U.S. also sanctioned top officials in the Islamic Republic, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In response, Iran on July 1 acknowledged breaking the deal's 300-kilogram (661-pound) limit on its low-enriched uranium stockpile. </s> Iran has announced it will break a limit set on uranium enrichment, in breach of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran still wanted to salvage the deal but blamed European countries for failing to live up to their own commitments.

The US unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018.

It has since reimposed strict sanctions on Iran.
• Why does the enriched uranium stockpile matter?

The Iranian announcement marks the latest breach of the accord. In May, Iran stepped up its production of enriched uranium, which can be used to make fuel for reactors but also for nuclear weapons.

The country has already stockpiled more enriched uranium than permitted under the terms of the deal.

Iran has strongly denied that it has any intention of building nuclear weapons.

On the anniversary of the US withdrawal, Iran gave a 60-day deadline to the remaining signatories of the deal - China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK - to protect it from US sanctions.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday at the end of that deadline, Mr Araqshi said Iran would start enriching uranium above a concentration of 3.67% within a few hours, to provide fuel for its Bushehr power plant.

Officials previously said this would mean a concentration of about 5%. Weapons-grade uranium is 90% enriched or more.

Mr Araqchi said Iran would keep reducing its commitment to the 2015 deal every 60 days.

But he also stressed that diplomacy was still an option, provided the sanctions are lifted.

Israel's energy minister has already criticised the move, saying that while the increase was "moderate", Iran had "begun its march... toward nuclear weaponry".

The announcement comes a day after French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and expressed his "strong concern" about what would happen if the agreement was abandoned.

Mr Rouhani called on European countries to act now to save the deal.

What is the nuclear deal?

Six countries signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015 to curb Iran's nuclear programme.

Tehran agreed to let in international inspectors and to limit its nuclear activities, in exchange for an end to tight economic sanctions.
• Iran nuclear deal - all you need to know

Under the deal, Iran is only permitted to produce low-enriched uranium, which has a 3-4% concentration of U-235, and can be used to produce fuel for nuclear power plants.

The deal also restricted Iran to stockpiling no more than 300kg (661lb) of the low-enriched uranium.

A stockpile of 1,050kg, however, could be further enriched later into enough material to build one bomb, according to the Arms Control Association. </s> Iran has announced it will begin enriching uranium beyond the limit set in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers "in a few hours".

The move on Sunday was part of an Iranian effort to press Europe to salvage the accord after the United States pulled out last year and reimposed punishing sanctions on Tehran, including on its oil and banking sectors.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Iran's atomic agency, said technical preparations for the new level of enrichment would be completed "within a few hours and enrichment over 3.67 percent will begin".

"And tomorrow early in the morning, when the IAEA [UN nuclear watchdog] takes the sample we would have gone beyond 3.67 percent," he told reporters in Tehran.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, said Tehran would keep reducing its commitments every 60 days unless signatories of the pact protected it from US sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump.

The landmark accord, negotiated in 2015, had offered Iran relief from global sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme. Under the pact, Iran agreed to enrich uranium to no more than 3.67 percent, which is enough for power generation, but far below weapons-grade levels of 90 percent.

Iran denies it seeks nuclear weapons, but the nuclear deal sought to prevent that as a possibility by limiting enrichment and Tehran's stockpile of uranium to 300kg. On July 1, Iran and United Nations inspectors acknowledged Tehran had amassed more low-enriched uranium than the stockpile cap agreed under the nuclear deal.

"We are fully prepared to enrich uranium at any level and with any amount," Kamalvandi said on Sunday.

'Another step in 60 days'

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani initially flagged Tehran's intentions to reduce its commitments on May 8, exactly a year after Trump abandoned the deal.

The US leader then reimposed sanctions on Iran saying he wanted to negotiate a new deal that also addressed Tehran's ballistic missiles programme and support for armed groups in the Middle East.

The pact's remaining signatories - United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China - opposed the US move, but have struggled to deliver on the economic benefits promised to Iran.

"European countries have failed to uphold their commitments and they are also responsible," Araghchi told the news conference in Tehran. "The doors of diplomacy are open but what matters are new initiatives which are required."

There was political will in Europe to save the deal, he said, referring to a new payment mechanism known as INSTEX, which is meant to help Iran bypass US sanctions. However, the trade channel was "not going to work unless European countries use it to buy Iranian oil", he said.

He added: "This is an opportunity for talks. And if our partners fail to use this opportunity they should not doubt our determination to leave the deal."

190706190053896

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in a Twitter post, said all of Tehran's moves were "reversible" if European countries upheld their commitments.

The three EU signatories "have no pretext to avoid a firm political stance to preserve JCPOA & counter US unilateralism," he added, referring to the nuclear deal by its formal name, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Having failed to implement their obligations under JCPOA—incl after US withdrawal—EU/E3 should at minimum politically support Iran's remedial measures under Para 36, incl at IAEA.

E3 have no pretexts to avoid a firm political stance to preserve JCPOA & counter U.S unilateralism. — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) July 7, 2019

Iranian officials have previously stressed that all the moves announced so far could be reversed "in hours" if the other parties to the nuclear deal were to make good on their side of the bargain - relief from sanctions.

They also say Iran is not violating the deal, citing terms of the agreement allowing one side to temporarily abandon some of its commitments if it deems the other side is not respecting its part of the accord.

'Too little creativity'

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, a US think tank, said Europe has so far "shown too little creativity and too little backbone" in salvaging the 2015 deal.

"It has been far more focused on adhering to Trump's sanctions - even though it opposes them - than on adhering to its obligations under the JCPOA. That's not a formula that will ensure the survival of the JCPOA," he told Al Jazeera.

"At this point, unless Europe returns to trading with Iran at pre-sanctions levels, it is difficult to see how the JCPOA can be kept alive."

Responding to the latest developments on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for sanctions saying Tehran was moving towards an atomic bomb. "This is a very, very dangerous step," Netanyahu said in public remarks to his cabinet.

"I call on my friends, the heads of France, Britain and Germany - you signed this deal and you said that as soon as they take this step, severe sanctions will be imposed - that was the Security Council resolution. Where are you?" he said.

However, Francois Nicoullaud, former French ambassador to Iran, said Tehran was a long way away from a bomb.

"There is no immediate danger," he told Al Jazeera from Toulon in France. "To produce a bomb, one needs at least a tonne of uranium enriched to up to 90 percent. We are still very far from this quantity of uranium.

"Another factor which would be very dangerous would be if Iran expels the international nuclear inspectors who are precisely controlling the nature and extent of its programme. This is what North Korea did in 2002, and that opened the way to a bomb. But until now, we have no signal in this direction from Iran."

A spokesperson for Germany's foreign ministry on Sunday expressed his country's concern "at Iran's announcement that it had started uranium enrichment above the limit of 3.67 percent".

"We strongly urge Iran to stop and reverse all activities inconsistent with its commitments."

The United Kingdom for its part accused Iran of breaking the terms of the JCPoA and urged Tehran to "stop and reverse all activities inconsistent with its obligations".

"Iran has broken the terms of the JCPoA," a Foreign Office spokesman said, adding that "the UK remains fully committed to the deal".

"We are coordinating with other JCPoA participants regarding the next steps under the terms of the deal, including a joint commission."

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday told Rouhani of his "strong concern" over the risk of weakening the nuclear agreement and the consequences that would follow during a telephone call, according to a statement from the Elysee Palace.

However, the two leaders agreed to "explore by July 15 the conditions for a resumption of dialogue between all parties", the statement said, adding that Macron would consult with Iranian authorities and international partners to bring about the "necessary de-escalation" of the situation over the coming days.

Ted Regencia contributed to this report. </s> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran announced it will exceed the uranium stockpile limit set by Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in the next 10 days, further escalating tensions in the Mideast.

The June 27 deadline comes ahead of another, July 7 deadline for Europe to come up with better terms for Iran to stay in the accord. If that second deadline passes without any action, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic likely will resume higher uranium enrichment.

Iran struck the nuclear deal in 2015 with the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and China. The deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, grew out of secret talks President Barack Obama's administration held with Iran after Rouhani, a relative moderate, took office.

Iran agreed to limit its enrichment of uranium under the watch of U.N. inspectors in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. International businesses rushed to do deals with Iran, most notably the billion-dollar sales by Airbus and Boeing Co.

President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise of tearing up the deal because it didn't address Iran's ballistic missile program or its involvement in regional conflicts, withdrew America from the accord in May 2018. That halted promised international business deals and dealt a heavy blow to Iran's already anemic economy. In the time since, the Trump administration has said any country that imports Iranian crude will face U.S. sanctions.

Natanz, in Iran's central Isfahan province, hosts the country's main uranium enrichment facility, located underground. Iran has one operating nuclear power plant in Bushehr, which it opened with Russia's help in 2011. Under the accord, Iran reconfigured a heavy-water reactor so it couldn't produce plutonium and agreed to convert its Fordo enrichment site — dug deep into a mountainside — into a research center. Iran said on Monday it may stop the heavy-water reactor reconfiguration. Tehran also operates an over 50-year-old research reactor in Tehran.

Under terms of the nuclear deal, Iran can keep a stockpile of no more than 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of low-enriched uranium. That's compared to the 10,000 kilograms (22,046 pounds) of higher-enriched uranium it once had. Currently, the accord limits Iran to enriching uranium to 3.67%, which can fuel a commercial nuclear power plant. Weapons-grade uranium needs to be enriched to around 90%. However, once a country enriches uranium to around 20%, scientists say the time needed to reach 90% is halved. Iran previously has enriched to 20%. Iranian officials say they've quadrupled their production of low-enriched uranium and will break the 300-kilogram limit by June 27.

A centrifuge is a device that enriches uranium by rapidly spinning uranium hexafluoride gas. Under the atomic accord, Iran has been limited to operating 5,060 older-model IR-1 centrifuges. The IR-1 is based on a 1970s Dutch design that Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan used to build Islamabad's nuclear weapons program and later sold to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

Iran has the technical ability to build and operate advanced versions called the IR-2M, IR-4 and IR-6 at Natanz, but is barred from doing so under the nuclear deal. Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's nuclear program, told The Associated Press in September that the IR-2M and the IR-4 can enrich uranium five times faster than an IR-1, while the IR-6 can do it 10 times faster. Western experts have suggested these centrifuges produce three to five times more enriched uranium in a year than the IR-1s.

Iran also mothballed many already-built centrifuges as part of the deal.

FROM 'ATOMS FOR PEACE' TO STUXNET

Iran's nuclear program actually began with the help of the United States. Under its "Atoms for Peace" program, America supplied a test reactor that came online in Tehran in 1967 under the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. That help ended once Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the shah.

In the 1990s, Iran expanded its program, including buying equipment from A.Q. Khan. Among its activities, Iran "may have received design information" for a bomb and researched explosive detonators, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

By August 2002, Western intelligence services and an Iranian opposition group revealed a covert nuclear site at Natanz. Iran to this day denies its nuclear program had a military dimension. Iran suspended enrichment in 2003 but resumed it three years later under hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. World powers imposed crippling U.N. sanctions in response. The Stuxnet computer virus, widely believed to be a joint U.S.-Israeli creation, soon disrupted thousands of Iranian centrifuges.

A string of bombings, blamed on Israel, targeted a number of scientists beginning in 2010 at the height of Western concerns over Iran's program. Israel never claimed responsibility for the attacks, though Israeli officials have boasted in the past about the reach of the country's intelligence services. Israel last year said it seized records from a "secret atomic archive" in Iran. </s> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Iran announced it will exceed the uranium stockpile limit set by Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in the next 10 days, further escalating tensions in the Mideast.

The June 27 deadline comes ahead of another, July 7 deadline for Europe to come up with better terms for Iran to stay in the accord. If that second deadline passes without any action, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic likely will resume higher uranium enrichment.

Iran struck the nuclear deal in 2015 with the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and China. The deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, grew out of secret talks President Barack Obama's administration held with Iran after Rouhani, a relative moderate, took office.

Iran agreed to limit its enrichment of uranium under the watch of U.N. inspectors in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. International businesses rushed to do deals with Iran, most notably the billion-dollar sales by Airbus and Boeing Co.

President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise of tearing up the deal because it didn't address Iran's ballistic missile program or its involvement in regional conflicts, withdrew America from the accord in May 2018. That halted promised international business deals and dealt a heavy blow to Iran's already anemic economy. In the time since, the Trump administration has said any country that imports Iranian crude will face U.S. sanctions.

Natanz, in Iran's central Isfahan province, hosts the country's main uranium enrichment facility, located underground. Iran has one operating nuclear power plant in Bushehr, which it opened with Russia's help in 2011. Under the accord, Iran reconfigured a heavy-water reactor so it couldn't produce plutonium and agreed to convert its Fordo enrichment site - dug deep into a mountainside - into a research center. Iran said on Monday it may stop the heavy-water reactor reconfiguration. Tehran also operates an over 50-year-old research reactor in Tehran.

Under terms of the nuclear deal, Iran can keep a stockpile of no more than 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of low-enriched uranium. That's compared to the 10,000 kilograms (22,046 pounds) of higher-enriched uranium it once had. Currently, the accord limits Iran to enriching uranium to 3.67%, which can fuel a commercial nuclear power plant. Weapons-grade uranium needs to be enriched to around 90%. However, once a country enriches uranium to around 20%, scientists say the time needed to reach 90% is halved. Iran previously has enriched to 20%. Iranian officials say they've quadrupled their production of low-enriched uranium and will break the 300-kilogram limit by June 27.

A centrifuge is a device that enriches uranium by rapidly spinning uranium hexafluoride gas. Under the atomic accord, Iran has been limited to operating 5,060 older-model IR-1 centrifuges. The IR-1 is based on a 1970s Dutch design that Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan used to build Islamabad's nuclear weapons program and later sold to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

Iran has the technical ability to build and operate advanced versions called the IR-2M, IR-4 and IR-6 at Natanz, but is barred from doing so under the nuclear deal. Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's nuclear program, told The Associated Press in September that the IR-2M and the IR-4 can enrich uranium five times faster than an IR-1, while the IR-6 can do it 10 times faster. Western experts have suggested these centrifuges produce three to five times more enriched uranium in a year than the IR-1s.

Iran also mothballed many already-built centrifuges as part of the deal.

FROM 'ATOMS FOR PEACE' TO STUXNET

Iran's nuclear program actually began with the help of the United States. Under its "Atoms for Peace" program, America supplied a test reactor that came online in Tehran in 1967 under the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. That help ended once Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the shah.

In the 1990s, Iran expanded its program, including buying equipment from A.Q. Khan. Among its activities, Iran "may have received design information" for a bomb and researched explosive detonators, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

By August 2002, Western intelligence services and an Iranian opposition group revealed a covert nuclear site at Natanz. Iran to this day denies its nuclear program had a military dimension. Iran suspended enrichment in 2003 but resumed it three years later under hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. World powers imposed crippling U.N. sanctions in response. The Stuxnet computer virus, widely believed to be a joint U.S.-Israeli creation, soon disrupted thousands of Iranian centrifuges.

A string of bombings, blamed on Israel, targeted a number of scientists beginning in 2010 at the height of Western concerns over Iran's program. Israel never claimed responsibility for the attacks, though Israeli officials have boasted in the past about the reach of the country's intelligence services. Israel last year said it seized records from a "secret atomic archive" in Iran. </s> WASHINGTON — Iran is ramping up enrichment of low-grade uranium and will pass the limit it is allowed to stockpile under the nuclear deal in 10 days, a spokesman for the Iranian atomic agency announced Monday.

During a news conference at the Arak heavy water reactor facility, Behrouz Kamalvandi said that Iran had increased low enriched uranium production fourfold and would exceed the limit of 300 kilograms by June 27, in the latest blow to the nuclear deal agreed between Tehran and world powers in 2015.

“If Iran feels that the sanctions have been reinstated or not lifted, Iran has the right to partly or on the whole suspend its commitments,” Kamalvandi said, referring to sanctions that were lifted as part of the nuclear deal but have since been reinstated by the US. The Trump administration withdrew from the pact in May 2018.

However, he said there was still time for European countries to save the nuclear deal if they “abide by their commitments.”

After exceeding the limit, Iran will accelerate uranium enrichment to 3.7%, Kamalvandi said — above the 3.67% mandated by the nuclear deal. Enrichment at this percentage is enough to continue powering parts of the country’s energy needs, but not enough to ever build a nuclear bomb.

Under the nuclear deal, Iran was permitted to stockpile limited amounts of enriched uranium and heavy water produced in that process, exporting any excess. Doing so has become extremely difficult after the US revoked waivers that allowed Iran to export those excess stockpiles, effectively forcing Iran to halt enrichment or ignore the limits, which it is now doing.

Monday’s announcement came after President Hassan Rouhani declared in May that Iran was reducing its “commitments to the deal” but not fully withdrawing from it.

Rouhani said at the time that Iran would keep its excess enriched uranium and heavy water, instead of selling it to other countries.

Iran has reiterated that it could reverse the new measures should the remaining European signatories in the nuclear deal (France, Germany and the United Kingdom) step in and make more of an effort to circumvent US sanctions.

Tehran has repeatedly criticized Europe’s delay in establishing their own trade channel to Iran, and Monday’s announcement is yet another sign that the nation is growing increasingly impatient.

“I think til now the Europeans have not done their part and they’ve wasted a lot of time,” Kamalvandi said during the press conference. “They have given us a lot of good words but not deeds.”

The development comes after two oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. The US and Saudi Arabia have blamed Iran for the attack, with Riyadh calling on the international community to take a “firm stand towards an exponential regime that supports terrorism and spreads killing and destruction.”

Iran has vehemently denied any involvement in the tanker incident. The country’s parliament speaker Ali Larijani accused the US of carrying out “acts of sabotage” against the two tankers in an effort to pressure Tehran, according to Iranian state-funded Press TV. </s> The Latest: Reports: Iran now enriching above deal's limit

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Latest on U.S.-Iran tensions (all times local):

Semi-official media in Iran is quoting the country's nuclear agency spokesman as saying Tehran is now enriching uranium to 4.5%.

The ISNA and Fars news agencies separately quoted Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

Kamalvandi told the agencies this decision met the needs that Iran has now.

This comes a day after Iran announced it would break the 3.67% limit imposed by its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

It earlier broke a limit put on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium.

Iran is asking Europe to come up with a way to help it sell its crude oil abroad and get around U.S. sanctions. However, Europe has yet to do so.

This comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S.

A Kremlin spokesman says that Russia is concerned about growing tensions between Tehran and the U.S. over Iran's unraveling nuclear deal with world powers.

Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Russia is concerned by Iran's announcement it is raising its uranium enrichment levels, furthering its breach of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Peskov said that the Kremlin had warned that President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the deal a year ago would entail negative consequences to global security. He called on all parties to use diplomacy to overcome the crisis.

Iran has given the remaining signatories to the deal — which include Russia — 60 days to find a way around crippling U.S. sanctions, or it says it will take further steps away from the deal.

Iran says the last chance for saving its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers will pass after a 60-day deadline.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told reporters Monday that Iran won't offer any further "deadlines" to save the deal by September.

The previous day, Iranian officials said the country would take further steps toward the "reduction" of its compliance with the accord after the deadline.

Iran has already breached the deal's limits on uranium enrichment and stockpiling.

Mousavi said Iran is still open to negotiations with its European partners and expressed the hope they would "take steps forward" toward implementing their commitments.

Iran is pressuring European partners to find a way around U.S. sanctions and deliver the deal's promised economic relief. The U.S. unilaterally withdrew a year ago. </s> Iran Says It Has Exceeded Uranium Limits Set In 2015 Nuclear Deal

Iran announced Monday that it has exceeded the 300 kilogram limit on low-enriched uranium set by the nuclear deal it made with six world powers.

Iran said today it had busted past limits on its stockpiles of uranium. Those limits were set under the 2015 nuclear deal with the U.S. and other nations. The White House says Iran, quote, "must end its nuclear ambitions." We're going to compare that demand with the more measured approach to another nuclear power, North Korea. First, NPR's Geoff Brumfiel looks at whether this is the start of a new nuclear crisis in the Middle East.

GEOFF BRUMFIEL, BYLINE: The deal was supposed to be simple. Iran would freeze some parts of its nuclear program and roll back others in order to keep it about a year away from getting enough uranium to make a bomb. And in exchange, it would get relief from economic sanctions. But that was before the U.S. pulled out.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.

BRUMFIEL: That was President Trump speaking last May. The U.S. has reimposed sanctions and added new ones. And now Iran is walking back its side of the bargain one bullet point at a time. Today it announced it has surpassed a 300-kilogram limit on low-enriched uranium. Ali Vaez with the International Crisis Group says that number is somewhat arbitrary.

ALI VAEZ: The fact that Iran has produced more low-enriched uranium than the deal allows by a few kilograms doesn't mean that the sky is going to fall.

BRUMFIEL: The uranium is only enriched to about 3.5%. It cannot be used for a bomb. But Vaez says that Iran soon plans to cross other lines set in the deal.

VAEZ: They have threatened, as of July 7, to start enriching at higher levels, like 20%, which is much closer to the weapons grade of 90%.

BRUMFIEL: And that could mean, by the end of the summer, Iran would begin to reduce the time it needs to get uranium for a nuclear weapon - although Iran's official line is that its program is peaceful.

Why is this happening now? Mahsa Rouhi at the International Institute for Strategic Studies says that a lot of it has to do with the tough position Iranian President Hassan Rouhani finds himself in.

MAHSA ROUHI: We always talk about how President Trump has to keep the campaign promises. But we often tend to forget that President Rouhani is under very similar pressure by not only the hard-liners but also the public opinion.

BRUMFIEL: Iran's nuclear program is very popular domestically. Rouhani won election on the promise that freezing it would improve the economy. So far, he hasn't been able to deliver.

ROUHI: People are left thinking - well, now we have basically accepted the limits on our nuclear program. Why are we still being punished?

BRUMFIEL: Today's announcement by Iran is aimed squarely at European powers who are still in the deal. By crossing these lines, Iran is hoping it can pressure Europe to come up with the economic benefits it was originally promised. Europe is working to provide some humanitarian aid - things like medical supplies. But Ali Vaez says it won't be enough to satisfy Iran.

VAEZ: Nothing that Europe would do on its own in the next few months would constitute a silver bullet for the Iranian economy.

BRUMFIEL: Vipin Narang, a political scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says it appears almost inevitable that Iran will follow through and ramp up its nuclear program again, even as Washington warns it not to.

VIPIN NARANG: It's unclear how the administration will respond to that.

BRUMFIEL: Narang says Iran is also probably paying attention to events in North Korea. That nation decided to build nukes despite sanctions. This weekend, President Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Iran is watching, Narang says.

NARANG: The red carpet treatment that Kim Jong Un gets and the love letters - they're thinking it's good to be a nuclear weapons state.

BRUMFIEL: As of today, Iran is still over a year away from getting a bomb - if it decides to. But that timeline looks likely to start shrinking soon.
Iran announces plans to begin enriching uranium beyond the limit set in its 2015 nuclear deal, with world powers pressing Europe to salvage the accord after the United States withdrew from it last year.