TEHRAN - On Monday, Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), told ISNA that Iran’s degree of uranium enrichment has reached 4.5 percent which he said is enough to power nuclear plants.

Increasing the level of enrichment to above 3.67 percent was taken on Sunday after Europe missed a 60-day deadline by Tehran to devise a concrete mechanism to guard Iran against U.S. sanctions.

On Sunday, Iran also gave Europeans another 60-day time to protect the country from sanctions otherwise it will take the next step. 

Kamalvandi said Iran’s next step includes installing more centrifuge machines, reinstalling IR-2 and IR-3m centrifuges and enriching uranium to 20 percent.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that Iran’s steps in reducing its nuclear commitments are “reversible” only if the three European countries of Britain, France, and Germany (E3) honor their commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the official name for the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Britain, France, and Germany are party to the JCPOA.

Iranian Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri on Monday called on Europe to seize the 60-day time to normalize economic ties with Iran.

Jahangiri said reduction of JCPOA undertakings by Iran are reversible if countries party to the JCPOA use the “60-day opportunity” to honor their commitments.

Iran’s chief demand is that the country be permitted to export crude oil at the same levels before the U.S. reimposed sanctions.

PA/PA