Arak reactor
© AFP/Iranian Atomic Energy OrganisationThe nuclear water reactor of Arak, south of capital Tehran
Tehran has removed the last constraints it agreed to impose on its nuclear program under the 2015 deal but said it is ready to return to fulfilling its obligations under the agreement if the US lifts sanctions.

Iran's nuclear program "no longer faces any operating restrictions," a government statement cited by Iranian media said, adding that parameters of enrichment capacity, enrichment level and the amount of enriched material would from now on be determined only by the program's "technical needs."

Tehran still vowed to continue its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and said that it could potentially return to fulfilling its obligations under the nuclear deal if sanctions imposed by Washington are lifted and Tehran's interests are respected.

The move marks the fifth and the final step in Tehran's gradual scaling down of its commitments under the deal. The measure was taken in response to America's unilateral exit from the agreement last year, which was followed by its reissuing of crippling sanctions against Iran.

Washington's European allies desperately sought to preserve the deal struck in 2015 between Iran, France, Germany, the UK and the US, as well as Russia and China. Europe even attempted to create a special-purpose vehicle called INSTEX, intended to help European companies trade with Iran without fear of repercussions in the form of sanctions from across the Atlantic.

It turned out to be not particularly effective, however, as the European companies appeared to be in no rush to trade with Iran through fear of losing American market. Tehran repeatedly criticized Europe for failing to fulfill its commitments under the accord.