Iran’s nuclear warning in response to sanctions

IRAN’S president warned yesterday that it could ramp up its nuclear program if the United States continues “threats and sanctions” against the country.

Hassan Rouhani’s speech in parliament risked ratcheting up tensions with the US.

Iran signed a nuclear accord with world powers in 2015. It limits the country’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon while ending most sanctions against it.

Earlier this week, Iran’s parliament voted to increase spending on its ballistic missile programme. The move came in response to US legislation passed earlier this month imposing mandatory penalties on people involved in the program and anyone who does business with them.

“In an hour and a day, Iran could return to a more advanced (nuclear) level than at the beginning of the negotiations,” Mr Rouhani said.

Iran still has centrifuges which churn out uranium to low levels for fuel, but could produce the higher levels needed for a weapon.

♦ Saudi Arabia and Iraq plan to open the Arar border crossing for trade for the first time since the countries cut ties in 1990 following Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. The Saudi cabinet wants to establish a joint trade commission with Iraq to halt the growing regional influence of arch-foe Iran.