The US has accused Iran of a “crude and transparent attempt to extort payments from the international community” by violating the 2015 nuclear deal.

The US ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency said there was no credible reason for Iran to breach two key commitments on uranium enrichment.

Iran has said the steps were a response to the sanctions the US reinstated when it abandoned the deal last year.

It has vowed to reverse them if it is given compensation for economic losses.

European powers still party to the deal have set up a mechanism for facilitating legitimate trade without direct financial transactions that they hope will circumvent the US sanctions. However, Iran has said it does not meet its needs.

Iran’s representative to the UN in New York told the BBC that the Europeans could do more, and that if they did not Iran would take further steps.