Iran warns it is ready to enrich uranium amid rising global tensions

Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the country is ready to enrich uranium
AP

Iran is ready to enrich uranium beyond the level set by Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal, a top aide to the country's supreme leader has warned.

Ali Akbar Velayati was speaking ahead of a deadline of Sunday Iran set for Europe to offer new terms to the accord.

"Americans directly and Europeans indirectly violated the deal,” he said, part of Tehran's hardening tone with Europe.

European parties to the deal are yet to offer a way for Iran to avoid sweeping economic sanctions imposed by Donald Trump after he pulled the US out of the accord a year ago, especially those targeting its crucial oil sales.

It comes as America has rushed thousands of troops, an aircraft carrier, nuclear-capable B-52 bombers and advanced fighter jets to the Middle East.

Mysterious oil tanker attacks near the Strait of Hormuz, attacks by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen on Saudi Arabia and Iran shooting down a US military drone have raised fears of a wider conflict engulfing the region.

In a video message from Mr Velayati on a website for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he revealed increasing enrichment to weapons-grade levels was "unanimously agreed upon by every component of the establishment".

He said: "We will show reaction exponentially as much as they violate it. We reduce our commitments as much as they reduce it."

But he added: "If they go back to fulfilling their commitments, we will do so as well."

Under the atomic accord, Iran agreed to enrich uranium to no more than 3.67 per cent, which is enough for peaceful pursuits but is far below weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.

Iran denies it seeks nuclear weapons, but the nuclear deal sought to prevent that as a possibility by limiting enrichment and Iran's stockpile of uranium to 300kg.

On Monday, Iran and United Nations inspectors acknowledged it had broken the stockpile limit.

Combining that with increasing its enrichment levels narrows the one-year window experts believe Iran would need to have enough material to build a nuclear weapon, if it chose to do so.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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