Hours after Tehran announced on Sunday it would shortly boost its uranium enrichment above a cap set by the 2015 nuclear deal, US President Donald Trump on Sunday said Iran "better be careful."
An Iranian official said on Sunday that Tehran would be announcing an increase in its uranium enrichment to 5%, a move signaling a deepening challenge to escalating the pressure from US sanctions.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The declaration comes at a time of sharply increased US-Iranian confrontation, a year after Washington quit the pact and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under the accord in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear work.
"The main announcement tomorrow will be the increase of the level of enrichment to 5% percent from 3.67% that we agreed under the deal," the official said on Saturday on condition of anonymity.
In a sign of heightening tensions, France, Germany and Britain – all parties to the deal – expressed concerns over the step taken by Tehran, in its latest effort to force the West to lift sanctions ravaging its limping economy.
Iran has denied any intent to develop nuclear weapons.
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told the Ynet news site on Sunday that Iran has "broken out of the enrichment curbs" and has "begun its march … toward nuclear weaponry."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the weekly cabinet meeting that "This is a very, very dangerous step" and "Iran has violated its solemn promise under the UN Security Council not to enrich uranium beyond a certain level."
"The enrichment of uranium is made for one reason and one reason only: It's for the creation of atomic bombs," Netanyahu said.
"The leaders of the P5+1 promised and committed themselves to snapback sanctions the minute Iran did that. It just did. Where are they?" the prime minister asked.
Part of this article was originally published by i24NEWS.
