Iran top adviser pushes uranium enrichment in response to US deal withdrawal

A top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has proposed Iran resume its uranium enrichment following the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Tehran.

Ali Akbar Velayati made the comments on Wednesday to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

"The first step Iran can take at the moment is to focus on facilities that use Uranium hexafluoride, which he said could spin the centrifuge machines that enrich uranium," the agency quoted Velayati as saying.

Velayati said Iran should also accelerate production of nuclear propulsions and also research on advanced centrifuges.

He added that this would not violate the nuclear deal which put limits on Iran's atomic programme in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.

In the wake of President Donald Trump's decision to pull the US out of the deal, several Iranian officials have indicated Tehran could resume its nuclear programme.