Iran breaches enriched uranium limit, says report

Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile has exceeded the 300 kilogram limit permitted under its nuclear deal, according to a report from the nation's semi-official Fars news agency on Monday which cited an "informed source".

Officials from the Islamic Republic had warned over recent days that their stockpile would breach the nuclear deal's limit, with the nation now likely to face the re-imposition of multi-lateral sanctions that had been withdrawn when the deal was signed in 2015.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which monitors Iran's compliance with the deal, has not confirmed the breach but a spokesman told Reuters that inspectors were "on the ground" and would report back following verification.

The remaining signatories after Washington pulled out in May of last year are the UK, France, China, Russia, Germany and the European Union.

America withdrew from the deal in May 2018 following President Trump's complaints that the deal is flawed and might allow Iran to build nuclear weapons, with Washington having since moved to slap Tehran with sanctions and to penalise nations who import Iranian oil.

In response, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei laid down conditions for the keeping the deal in place, calling on the remaining signatories to shield it from US sanctions by taking steps such as preserving business relations with Iranian banks and purchasing Iranian oil.

Tehran has also insisted that it merely intends to use its stockpile to produce fuel for its nuclear power plants, arguing that its 3.67% enriched uranium falls far short of the 90% enrichment required for the substance to be classified as 'weapons grade'.