TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Latest on U.S.-Iran tensions (all times local):
8:40 p.m.
French President Emmanuel Macron is sending his chief diplomatic adviser to Iran following its decision enrich uranium beyond the threshold of the 2015 nuclear accord.
The Elysee Palace said Monday that Emmanuel Bonne was returning on Tuesday to Tehran. He had made a day-long visit last month in a bid to deescalate tensions.
It was not immediately clear how long he would stay in the Iranian capital, or with whom he would meet.
Europe is under pressure to try to salvage the accord between Iran and world powers after the U.S. withdrew from it last year and restored heavy sanctions.
Macron said over the weekend that he's trying to find a way to resume dialogue between Iran and Western partners by July 15. He spoke Saturday with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
___
10:30 p.m.
The U.N. says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes Iran's uranium enrichment above the limit set in the 2015 nuclear accord, if confirmed, would neither help preserve the agreement "nor secure tangible economic benefits for the Iranian people."
U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Monday that the secretary-general encourages Iran to continue implementing all its nuclear commitments under the deal "as the participants continue to seek ways to overcome the considerable challenges the country faces."
The International Atomic Energy Agency said its inspectors verified Monday "that Iran is enriching uranium above 3.67%," the limit allowed under the 2015 agreement.
Iran had announced the move in recent days in a bid to pressure European powers to shore up the nuclear accord following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the agreement last year.
___
10:10 p.m.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling on world powers to escalate pressure on Iran in response to its breaching of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Netanyahu, a longtime opponent of the landmark accord that U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned, accused Iran on Monday of "trying to lash out to reduce the pressure." He cited a string of alleged Iranian attacks on oil tankers and Iran's downing of a U.S. drone last month.
Netanyahu says: "It's important to respond to these actions not by reducing the pressure, but by increasing the pressure."
He urged Europe to back the Trump administration's decision to impose crippling sanctions on Iran.
In recent weeks, Iran has openly breached limits set by the agreement as a way of pressuring European signatories to the deal to try and shore it up following the U.S. withdrawal last year.
___
9 p.m.
The U.N.'s atomic energy watchdog has confirmed that Iran is enriching uranium above the threshold set in the 2015 nuclear accord.
The International Atomic Energy Agency says its inspectors verified Monday "that Iran is enriching uranium above 3.67%."
Iran had announced the move in recent days in a bid to pressure European powers to shore up the 2015 nuclear agreement following the U.S. decision to withdraw from the accord last year.
Semi-official news agencies in Iran earlier reported that the country began enriching uranium Monday to 4.5%, breaking the limit set four years ago in the deal with world powers.
The Vienna-based IAEA didn't specify how much beyond the threshold Iran is enriching uranium. Uranium enriched to 90% is considered weapons-grade.
___
5:30 p.m.
China has expressed regret over Iran's breaching of the 2015 nuclear deal and blamed the United States, saying "maximum pressure" from the Trump administration, which withdrew from the accord last year, is behind the crisis.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang described the comprehensive agreement as the only realistic and effective way to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue and ease tensions.
Tehran says it is now enriching uranium at a higher level than is allowed under the 2015 agreement with world powers.
Geng said at a daily news briefing that "maximum pressure" imposed by the U.S. was the "root cause" of the crisis. Since withdrawing from the accord, the U.S. has imposed heavy economic sanctions on Iran.
Geng called for a diplomatic solution, saying "it has been proven that unilateral bullying has become a worsening 'tumor' and is creating more problems and greater crises on a global scale."
___
4:30 p.m.
Germany says it is refraining from immediate measures against Iran, but will wait for the International Atomic Energy Agency's inspection report on Tehran's claim it is enriching uranium above the level allowed under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
German Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul said Monday that the Vienna-based agency hasn't circulated the report yet, but it was "more a question of days not weeks."
Breul told reporters in Berlin as soon as the report is available, Germany will examine it and discuss with the others in the nuclear pact — Iran, Britain, France, China and Russia — how to proceed.
He added that "what's important to us is to get Iran to abide by the agreement again."
The U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the deal a year ago.
___
3:05 p.m.
Semi-official media in Iran is quoting the country's nuclear agency spokesman as saying Tehran is now enriching uranium to 4.5%.
The ISNA and Fars news agencies separately quoted Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
Kamalvandi told the agencies this decision met the needs that Iran has now.
This comes a day after Iran announced it would break the 3.67% limit imposed by its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
It earlier broke a limit put on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium.
Iran is asking Europe to come up with a way to help it sell its crude oil abroad and get around U.S. sanctions. However, Europe has yet to do so.
This comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S.
___
2:55 p.m.
A Kremlin spokesman says that Russia is concerned about growing tensions between Tehran and the U.S. over Iran's unraveling nuclear deal with world powers.
Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Russia is concerned by Iran's announcement it is raising its uranium enrichment levels, furthering its breach of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Peskov said that the Kremlin had warned that President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the deal a year ago would entail negative consequences to global security. He called on all parties to use diplomacy to overcome the crisis.
Iran has given the remaining signatories to the deal — which include Russia — 60 days to find a way around crippling U.S. sanctions, or it says it will take further steps away from the deal.
___
12:00 p.m.
Iran says the last chance for saving its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers will pass after a 60-day deadline.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told reporters Monday that Iran won't offer any further "deadlines" to save the deal by September.
The previous day, Iranian officials said the country would take further steps toward the "reduction" of its compliance with the accord after the deadline.
Iran has already breached the deal's limits on uranium enrichment and stockpiling.
Mousavi said Iran is still open to negotiations with its European partners and expressed the hope they would "take steps forward" toward implementing their commitments.
Iran is pressuring European partners to find a way around U.S. sanctions and deliver the deal's promised economic relief. The U.S. unilaterally withdrew a year ago.
