Hassan Rouhani: Iran will exceed uranium enrichment limit on July 7

President Hassan Rouhani

Tehran: President Hassan Rouhani said Iran would exceed on Sunday the uranium enrichment limit it agreed in a 2015 deal with major powers, raising it "as much as necessary".

Iran is acting on its May 8 threat to suspend parts of the 2015 nuclear agreement in response to US President Donald Trump's reimposition of crippling sanctions since withdrawing from it in May last year. "On July 7, our enrichment level will no longer be 3.67 per cent. We will put aside this commitment. We will increase (the enrichment level) beyond 3.67 per cent to as much as we want, as much as is necessary, as much as we need," Rouhani said during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The enrichment maximum set in the agreement is sufficient for power generation but far below the more than 90 per cent level required for a nuclear warhead. Rouhani stressed that Iran's action would be reversed if the other parties to the nuclear deal made good on their side of the bargain - relief from sanctions.

"We will remain committed to the (nuclear deal) as long as the other parties are committed. We will act on the JCPOA 100 per cent the day that the other party acts 100
per cent (too)."

Iran announced on May 8 it would no longer respect the limits set on the size of its stockpiles of enriched uranium and heavy water.

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