Iran's atomic energy agency said Monday the country would soon surpass the limit on the amount of enriched uranium it is allowed to keep under the 2015 international agreement aimed at restraining its nuclear weapons program.

In remarks to reporters carried on state television, agency spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said, "Today the countdown to pass the 300 kilograms reserve of enriched uranium has started and in 10 days time (June 27)... we will pass this limit."

But he said Iran would be open to going back to observing the limit if it gets help from other signatories to the agreement in circumventing U.S. sanctions on its vital oil industry.

In early May, President Hassan Rouhani said Iran, in retaliation for last year's unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the accord, would stop observing restrictions on its stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water that was agreed to under the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program under the 2015 deal to allay concerns about its alleged work on nuclear weapons, and in return it won relief from economic sanctions that had badly hurt its economy.

The U.S. withdrawal from the deal left Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany to figure out how to keep the agreement with Iran alive.

Source : VOA