Germany ‘extremely concerned’ by Iran move

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.