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Iran says not seeking war after announcing boost in uranium stockpile

A day after announcing that its stockpile of low-enriched uranium will soon surpass limits under the nuclear deal — earning praise from across a divided domestic political spectrum — Iran says it is not seeking military confrontation with any nation.
Iranian workers stand in front of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, about 1,200 km (746 miles) south of Tehran October 26, 2010. Iran has begun loading fuel into the core of its first nuclear power plant on Tuesday, one of the last steps to realising its stated goal of becoming a peaceful nuclear power, state-run Press TV reported on Tuesday. REUTERS/Mehr News Agency/Majid Asgaripour (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY IMAGES OF THE DAY) - GM1E6AQ1G1401

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told France's new Iranian Ambassador Philippe Thiebaud June 17 in Tehran that time was quickly running out for the remaining signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to "play their historic role in salvaging the deal." Rouhani warned that the pact's collapse would not serve the interests of any side involved the agreement.

A few hours later, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization announced that the Islamic Republic's stockpile of low-enriched uranium will by June 27 have passed 300 kilograms, breaching the limit it has been fully observing under the JCPOA. The step was taken as part of a larger plan revealed in May after Tehran said its "strategic patience" with the Europeans had run out and it needed them to provide it with promised economic dividends by a 60-day deadline.

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