Iran not after nuclear weapons, but won't limit enrichment to 20%: Khamenei

Iran is not after nuclear weapons, but its nuclear enrichment will not be limited to 20 percent, said Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on Monday.

Taking to Twitter, Khamenei said, "Iran is not after nuclear weapons, but its nuclear enrichment will not be limited to 20 percent either. It will enrich uranium to any extent that is necessary for the country. Iran's enrichment level may reach 60 percent to meet the country's needs."

Khamenei also commented about Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) commitments with the US and the 3 European countries.

"Over the past few days, the US and the 3 European countries have used arrogant, unjust rhetoric regarding Iran. They keep asking why Iran has stopped carrying out its #JCPOA commitments, but they don't mention that they never carried out their own commitments," he tweeted.

Khamenei further said that if Iran had any intention to produce nuclear weapons then no one can stop.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "That international Zionist clown has said they won't allow Iran to produce nuclear weapons. First of all, if we had any such intention, even those more powerful than him wouldn't be able to stop us."

"Second, we are not after nuclear weapons. This is based on Islamic fundamentals and commands that prohibit weapons that are used for killing ordinary people. The one that massacres 220,000 people with nuclear weapons is the US." Khamenei tweeted.

The JCPOA was signed in 2015 by Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union, stipulating the removal of international sanctions from Tehran in exchange for it scaling down its nuclear program.

In 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Tehran responded by gradually abandoning its own commitments.

This past December, the Iranian government passed a law aimed at achieving a full removal of sanctions via a boost of nuclear activities, specifically by increasing the levels of uranium enrichment and limiting the access of the International Atomic Energy Agency to its facilities, reported Sputnik.

In January, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US would reciprocate Iran's resumed compliance with the nuclear deal, but would seek a broader agreement that also covers its missile program.