Alwaght- Spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization announced on Monday Tehran has passed the 3.67% uranium enrichment limit set by a 2015 nuclear deal and may enrich uranium at 20% and even beyond it.
"There is the 20% option and there are options even higher than that but each in its own place. Today if our country's needs are one thing, we won't pursue something else just to scare the other side a little more. But they know it's an upward trend," Behrouz Kamalvandi said.
"Twenty percent is not needed now, but if we want we will produce it. When we've put aside 3.67% enrichment we have no obstacle or problem with this action," he said.
Options for enriching at higher levels have been discussed with the Supreme National Security Council, the spokesman added.
Kamalvandi said increasing the number of centrifuges is an option for Iran's third step in reducing its commitments to the nuclear deal, noting that restarting IR-2 and IR-2 M centrifuges is an option.
The remaining European signatories to the nuclear deal, he said, should act quickly to fulfill their promises because Iran will continue reducing its commitments to the deal until it achieves a result.
China said "unilateral bullying" by the United States was the cause behind Iran's measures.
"The facts show that unilateral bullying has already become a worsening tumor," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a press briefing in Beijing Monday.
The US withdrew from the nuclear deal in May 2018 and began reimposing sanctions on Iran in August 2018, targeting crucial sectors including oil exports and the banking system.
"The maximum pressure exerted by the US on Iran is the root cause of the Iranian nuclear crisis," Geng said.
The 2015 deal was reached between Iran and six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, the United States and Russia -- and saw Tehran agree to drastically scale down its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
