Iran says it is now enriching uranium to five percent

Iran said Saturday it is now enriching uranium to five percent, after a series of steps back from its commitments under a troubled 2015 accord with major powers.

The deal set a 3.67 percent limit for uranium enrichment but Iran announced it would no longer respect it after Washington unilaterally abandoned the agreement last year and re-imposed crippling sanctions.

"Based on our needs and what we have been ordered, we are currently producing five percent,” said Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi.