OFFICIALS in Iran have revealed the country quadrupled its uranium-enrichment production capacity amid tensions with the US over Tehran’s atomic programme.
The announcement came after US president Donald Trump and Iran’s foreign minister traded threats on Twitter.
Iranian officials stressed that the uranium would be enriched only to the 3.67% limit set under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, making it usable for a power plant but below the required amount for an atomic weapon.
However, by increasing production, the country will exceed the stockpile limitations set by the accord.
Tehran has provided a July 7 deadline for Europe to set new terms for the deal, or it will enrich closer to weapons-grade levels.
Tehran has long insisted it does not seek nuclear weapons, though the West fears its programme could allow it to build them.
Before Iran’s announcement, Trump tweeted: “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!”
MEANWHILE Yemen’s Houthi rebels have said they launched a bomb-laden drone into Saudi Arabia, targeting an airport with a military base.
The attack on the Saudi city of Najran was acknowledged by the kingdom as tensions in the Middle East between Iran and the US remain high.
It is not clear if there were any injuries or what the extent of the damage was.
Najran lies on the Saudi-Yemen border and has repeatedly been targeted by the Iran-allied Houthis.
A statement earlier on the state-run Saudi Press Agency quoted Saudi-led coalition spokesman Col Turki al-Maliki as saying the Houthis “had tried to target” a civilian site in Najran.
IN China, the founder of Huawei has said US restrictions on sales to the company will have little impact.
Washington believes Huawei poses a security threat and last week imposed restrictions on technology sales to the company.
Ren Zhengfei told reporters the controls “will have no impact within this company”, but conceded some low-end business might be affected.
AND in Austria, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, pictured, left, faces a no-confidence vote in parliament next week after his governing coalition collapsed over a corruption scandal.
Speaker Wolfgang Sobotka, a member of Kurz’s conservative People’s Party, set a special session of the legislature for Monday.
Opposition parties wanted it held this week, but Sobotka said he wants to “give space to the EU election campaign”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel