Nuclear energy in Iran

The United States on July 31 imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, targeting the country's top spokesman and potentially hurting chances of diplomatic talks amid rising tensions between the two countries.

European Union nations threw their diplomatic weight behind the unraveling Iran nuclear deal on July 15, trying to rescue the pact from collapsing under U.S. pressure.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on July 15 that there was still time to save the Iran nuclear deal and that despite the United States being Britain's closest ally it disagreed on how to handle the Iran crisis.

Iran increased its uranium enrichment on July 7 beyond the limit allowed by its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, inching its program closer toward weapons-grade levels while calling for a diplomatic solution to a crisis heightening tensions with the U.S.

Iran said on July 7 it was set to breach the uranium enrichment cap set by an endangered nuclear deal within hours as it seeks to press signatories into keeping their side of the bargain.    

A top advisor to Iran's supreme leader has hinted Tehran could boost its uranium enrichment to five percent for "peaceful" aims, ahead of deadline it set for world powers to save a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will exceed on July 7 the uranium enrichment limit it agreed in a 2015 deal with major powers, raising it "as much as necessary".    

The diplomatic chiefs of the EU, France, Germany and Britain said on July 2 they were "extremely concerned" and urged Iran to reverse its decision to breach a limit on enriched uranium reserves under a 2015 nuclear deal.    

US President Donald Trump warned that Iran is "playing with fire" after Tehran said it exceeded a limit on enriched uranium reserves under a 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by Washington, AFP reported.

"They know what they're doing. They know what they're playing with and I think they're playing with fire," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about Iran.

Iran rejected on July 2 a White House accusation that Tehran was long violating the terms of its nuclear deal with world powers, after the Islamic Republic said it had amassed more low-enriched uranium than permitted under the accord.