Trump: Iran is ‘playing with fire’

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran is “playing with fire”, following the Islamic Republic’s announcement that it had exceeded the amount of enriched uranium permitted under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Trump made the comments to reporters in the Oval Office in response to a question about Tehran’s decision.

The US vowed earlier to never allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons following Iran’s announcement.

“The Iranian regime took action today to increase its uranium enrichment. It was a mistake under the Iran nuclear deal to allow Iran to enrich uranium at any level. There is little doubt that even before the deal’s existence, Iran was violating its terms. We must restore the longstanding nonproliferation standard of no enrichment for Iran. The United States and its allies will never allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons,” the White House Press Secretary said.

“Maximum pressure on the Iranian regime will continue until its leaders alter their course of action. The regime must end its nuclear ambitions and its malign behavior.”

Iran says it no longer feels bound by certain limits in the deal due to the crippling sanctions re-imposed by the United States after Washington pulled out of the accord in May 2018.

Under the landmark deal signed with world powers in 2015, Iran pledged to reduce its nuclear capacities for several years and to allow international inspectors into the country to monitor its activities in return for relief from international sanctions.

Iran’s announcement followed a meeting with European, Russian and Chinese officials to discuss ways to save the 2015 nuclear following the US withdrawal.

Iran’s envoy to Friday’s meeting in Vienna said that European countries had offered too little to persuade Tehran to back off from its plans to breach limits imposed by the deal.