Iran’s top diplomat warns US is ‘playing with fire’

UNITED NATIONS: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned Monday that the United States is "playing with fire," echoing remarks by President Donald Trump as the two sides are locked in a standoff over Tehran´s nuclear programme.

The United States quit an international deal aimed at curbing Iran´s nuclear programme last year, hitting Tehran with crippling sanctions. Tensions have since soared, with the US calling off air strikes against Iran at the last minute after Tehran downed an American drone, and Washington blaming the Islamic republic for a series of attacks on tanker ships. "I think the United States is playing with fire," Zarif told NBC News.

Iran announced last week that it had enriched uranium past the 3.67 percent limit set by the nuclear deal, and has also surpassed the 300-kilogram cap on enriched uranium reserves. But "it can be reversed within hours," Zarif told the channel, adding: "We are not about to develop nuclear weapons. Had we wanted to develop nuclear weapons, we would have been able to do it (a) long time ago."