The French President has warned that Iran’s decision to increase its level uranium enrichment will lead to inevitable consequences.

Tehran has confirmed it plans to enrich levels to 5% - enough to create the fuel needed for a nuclear power plant.

The 2015 Iran nuclear deal restricted the enrichment level to 3.67%.

Iran has also confirmed it plans to up enrichment levels every 60 days unless signatories to the pact worked to put an end to crippling US sanctions on the country.

It comes after the country said had amassed more low-enriched uranium than the 300kg allowed under the pact.

The Middle East country says its nuclear programme is for purely peaceful purposes, but there are concerns that increasing its capacity could lead to the production of nuclear weapons.

Iran deal

Iran has been scaling back its commitments under the deal since US President Donald Trump pulled out of it and re-imposed economic sanctions on the country.

The remaining signatories have been trying to make it work without Washington.

Iran is calling on the remaining signatories to help it circumvent the US sanctions – which have badly hit its oil exports – before it returns to the negotiating table.

"Deeply concerned"

France President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani yesterday.

He told his counterpart that he is “deeply concerned” over the further weakening of the deal and said there would be inevitable consequences.

He also said he would try to find a way by July 15th to resume dialogue.

According to Iranian state TV, Mr Rouhani told Mr Macron that “lifting all sanctions can be the beginning of a move between Iran and six major powers.”

"The US sanctions are a full-scale economic war against Iran that could create more crisis in the region and in the world," he added