The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has encouraged Iran to continue implementing the JCPOA, after the country's enrichment boost.

Iran Press/ America: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Iran to continue complying with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) after the country began enriching uranium beyond the 3.67 percent limit set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said in a press briefing on Monday.

According to Sputnik, Haq said: "The Secretary-General is aware of this announcement that Iran may have begun enriching uranium beyond the 3.67 percent limit set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He encourages the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue implementing all its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA, as the participants continue to seek ways to overcome the considerable challenges the country faces."

Iran that previously had announced it would further reduce its obligations under the nuclear deal due to the fact that JCPOA member states were unable to save the accord within 60 days, on Sunday declared the second step in reduction of its commitments by ramping up the level of uranium enrichment to over 3.67 percent.

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Kamalvandi: Uranium enrichment at more than 3.67 percent to start within hours

Meantime, spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Monday that the new level of nuclear enrichment stands at 4.5 percent.

Iran maintains that the new measures are not designed to harm the JCPOA, but to save the accord by creating a balance in the commitments.

Iran and the 5+1 Group (Russia, China, US, Britain, France, and Germany) signed a landmark nuclear accord in July 2015.

The accord took effect in January 2016 and was supposed to terminate all nuclear-related sanctions against Iran all at once, but its implementation was hampered by US policies and its eventual withdrawal from the nuclear deal.

On 8 May 2018, US President Donald Trump abruptly and unilaterally withdrew the US from the nuclear accord.

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