CNN – Iran announced Wednesday it was partially withdrawing from a landmark nuclear deal, marking a serious escalation in Tehran’s faceoff with the United States.
President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech that Iran would reduce its “commitments” to the deal, but would not fully withdraw, amid heightened pressure from the US in recent weeks.
Rouhani said that from this week, Iran will keep its excess enriched uranium and heavy water, rather than sell it to other countries as previously agreed to limit its stockpile.
The President said drastic measures would be implemented unless the remaining signatories of the deal — Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia — eased restrictions on Iran’s banking and oil sectors in the next 60 days.
