Iran Says It Has Surpassed Critical Nuclear Enrichment Level in 2015 Deal

LONDON — Iran has breached a crucial limit on the level of uranium enrichment set out in the 2015 nuclear deal, the country’s atomic energy agency said on Monday, as China, another signatory to the deal, accused the United States of “bullying” Tehran with crippling economic sanctions.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for Iran’s atomic energy agency, told the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB that the country had surpassed a limit of 3.67 percent uranium enrichment, and was prepared to go further.

Mr. Kamalvandi later told another Iranian news outlet, ISNA, that the enrichment level was above 4.5 percent.

He added that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, who have the task of monitoring Iran’s compliance with the limits set out in the deal, were expected to confirm that information on Monday. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the enrichment level.

The change moves Iran closer to — but still far short of — the level of uranium enrichment needed to produce nuclear weapons. But Iran has maintained that the higher enrichment level would be for peaceful purposes only.

The United States withdrew last year from the landmark nuclear accord with other powers and Iran, and reimposed punishing economic sanctions on the Middle Eastern country.