190904 Iran
Iran President Hassan Rouhani gives a speech after meeting with the Iranian Judiciary chief and parliament speaker, in the capital Tehran. Image Credit: AP

Tehran: Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday ordered all limits on nuclear research and development to be lifted, the country’s third step in scaling down its commitments to a 2015 deal with world powers.

“I, as of now, announce the third step,” he said on state television. “The atomic energy organisation (of Iran) is ordered to immediately start whatever is needed in the field of research and development, and abandon all the commitments that were in place regarding research and development.”

Iran in July abandoned two other nuclear commitments: to keep its stockpile of enriched uranium below 300-kilogrammes, and a 3.67 per cent cap on the purity of its uranium stocks.