Iran enriching more uranium than in 2015

Iran is now enriching more uranium than it was before agreeing to a nuclear accord with world powers in 2015, Iran’s president declared yesterday, as countries that lost nationals in the downed passenger jet threatened to sue Tehran for compensation.

Hassan Rouhani, in a televised speech, said ‘‘pressure has increased on Iran but we continue to progress’’ after Britain, France and Germany triggered a dispute resolution process in response to Iran’s violations of the terms of the agreement.

Iran has gradually scaled back its commitments under the pact in retaliation for the United State’s withdrawal in 2018 and its reimposition of sanctions that have crippled the economy.

Tehran has since resumed research and development of centrifuges, which European governments fear will lead to irreversible technological breakthroughs and reduce the time Iran would need to build a nuclear bomb.

So far, Tehran has only modestly increased its nuclear activity. In recent months it has boosted its enrichment of uranium to 4.5 per cent – higher than the 3.67 per cent limit set by the pact, but far from the 20 per cent enrichment it was engaged in before the deal. Uranium must be enriched to 90 per cent to be used in a nuclear weapon.

Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, had until now resisted US demands that they quit the deal, insisting it is the only way to keep Iran in check.

Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, who has praised Donald Trump, the US president, as a great deal-maker, called on Wednesday for Trump to replace the current pact with one of his own.

Rouhani dismissed the proposal for a new deal, saying it was a ‘‘strange’’ offer and criticised Trump for always breaking promises.

‘‘The government is working daily to prevent military confrontation or war,’’ Rouhani added, saying dialogue with the international community was difficult but remained ‘‘possible’’.

Ben Wallace, Britain’s Defence Secretary, defended the current deal, saying: ‘‘We think there’s still life left in it. But we also want Iran to play its full part as a civilised nation and to do that it must address some of its other behaviours.

‘‘We take all our threats seriously, from whoever they come from,’’ he said of Rouhani’s statement on uranium enrichment.

‘‘We take statements like that from the president seriously, but recognise that is not the way to deescalate the situation.’’

It came amid reports that days before the E3 triggered the mechanism, which if not resolved could see global sanctions once again imposed on Tehran, the Trump administration had threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on European car imports unless they took action against Iran for defying its nuclear agreement.

Since the Europeans had signalled an intention to trigger the dispute mechanism for weeks, it is not clear why the threat was thought necessary.

understands that they had first seriously discussed such a move in December.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, likened Washington to a ‘‘high school bully’’.

Meanwhile, the countries who lost citizens when Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner over Tehran said they expected it to pay compensation and allow a criminal investigation leading to prosecution of the perpetrators. Iran has already arrested a number of people over the downing of the jet. Afghanistan, Britain, Canada, Sweden and Ukraine issued a five-point list of demands that also included unfettered access for consular officials, a transparent identification and repatriation of victims’ remains, and access to take part in the air accident inquiry.

‘‘The government is working daily to prevent military confrontation or war.’’

President Hassan Rouhani