Iran breaches uranium enrichment cap set by troubled 2015 nuclear deal

Iran has breached a uranium enrichment cap set by a troubled 2015 nuclear deal and warned Europe against taking retaliatory measures. Iran surpassing the cap and reaching 4.5 percent enrichment was announced today by the country's atomic energy organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi. According to semi-official ISNA news agency, Kamalvandi said, this level of purity completely satisfies the power plant fuel requirements of the country.

The move came more than a year after Washington pulled out of the landmark accord between world powers and Tehran, which says it has lost patience with perceived inaction by the remaining European partners.

Kamalvandi hinted that the Islamic republic might stick to this level of enrichment for the time being, which is well below



the more than 90-percent level required for a nuclear warhead.

The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed that Iran had enriched uranium to a level above the deal's cap. The IAEA has scheduled a special meeting on Iran's nuclear programme for July 10.

The European Union said, it was extremely concerned by the development and called on Iran to reverse all activities inconsistent with its deal commitments.

Iran's foreign ministry warned against any escalatory response. The ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi did not specify what the final step would be but Iran's President Hassan Rouhani had warned previously that Iran could leave the nuclear accord.