More than a year after the US pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA), US-Iran tensions have risen to a new high.

In April, the US decided to end waivers allowing countries to purchase Iranian oil, putting more pressure on Iran’s economy.

In response, Iran announced that it had «quadrupled» its rate of production of low-enriched uranium, which would set it to violate the stockpile limit provision of the nuclear agreement.

Iran’s approach is calibrated to put pressure on the European signatories of the JCPOA, who oppose the US’s hardline approach but have been unwilling to meaningfully stand up to it. Japan, another major importer of Iranian oil, has also attempted to defuse tensions as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Iran this week but failed to produce results.