Top official says Iran ready for higher uranium enrichment

A top aide to Iran's supreme leader says the Islamic Republic is ready to begin enriching uranium beyond the level set by Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Ali Akbar Velayati says in a video posted on a website for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that "Americans directly and Europeans indirectly violated the deal."

Velayati adds that increasing uranium enrichment beyond 3.67% as allowed by the deal is "unanimously agreed upon by every component of the establishment."

Iran appears poised on Sunday to increase its uranium enrichment closer to weapons-grade levels as a deadline set by its president for Europe to offer new terms to the deal expires.

Iran has yet to say how far they'll enrich their uranium, though Velayati mentioned a need for 5%-enrichment in his filmed comments.