Rouhani: Our power has multiplied and the nuclear deal serves it

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country's nuclear power had doubled and that staying in the nuclear deal was in its interest, while European officials said the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels today would respond to Iran's decision to start the fourth phase of reducing its commitments to the nuclear deal.

Rouhani said in a speech in the central Iranian city of Rafsanjan that the exit from the nuclear deal means the return of the Security Council sanctions on Tehran.

With the nuclear deal continuing until next year, Tehran would achieve an important political and security objective: lifting arms sanctions, enabling it to buy and sell weapons, he said.

He continued: We can withdraw from the agreement, but staying in it is in our favor ... If we withdraw from the agreement under the pressure of the enemies then the Security Council sanctions will return. Today, our nuclear power is becoming more and more advanced, and we have overcome obstacles.

Resume and violate
A few days ago, Iran announced the resumption of uranium enrichment at the Verdou facility, in violation of the nuclear agreement (officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) reached between Iran and Germany, France, Britain, Russia, China and the United States.

The agreement bans the production of nuclear material in Verdun, a highly sensitive site Iran had hidden until it was discovered by UN inspectors in 2009.

Iran, in a new challenge to the international community and reiterating its continued violations of the nuclear deal, announced the start of construction of a second nuclear power reactor at Bushehr, hours after it said it could enrich uranium by up to 60%.

Iran's state television reported that construction work had begun at a second nuclear power plant at Bushehr, amid mounting tensions over the collapse of the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Crisis and solutions
For their part, European officials said that the meeting of foreign ministers of the European Union countries in Brussels today, will respond to Iran's decision to start the fourth phase of reducing its commitments to the nuclear deal, stressing that the solution to the nuclear crisis should be based on dialogue.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said sanctions were not the best solution to the nuclear crisis, noting that Iran had violated its obligations, not the EU.

Dutch Foreign Minister Steve Block said Europeans were concerned about Iran's development of centrifuges.

For his part, German Foreign Minister Heiko Mas said that the failure of Iran to return to its obligations on the nuclear deal may push the major powers to re-sanctions it.

Mas noted that the countries participating in the nuclear agreement reserve the right to use all the mechanisms provided for in the agreement.

Mas said he would meet his counterparts from Britain and France in Paris later in the day to discuss the next moves and expressed "grave concern" over recent nuclear enrichment activities.