Amid heightened tensions with the US, Iran announced on Monday that it had resumed enriching uranium to 20% purity. This is prohibited under the 2015 nuclear deal forged with the US and is likely to further escalate tensions between the two countries. Iran also allegedly seized a South Korea chemical tanker on Monday, claiming that the seizure was based on environmental effects such as chemical pollution in the Persian Gulf.

Both of the developments come a day after the one-year anniversary of the death of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who died due to an airstrike conducted by the US. President Trump instructed the Pentagon to keep a US aircraft carrier in the Middle East, which reverses a previous decision to send it out of the region. An Iranian government spokesman claimed that experts had re-started the uranium enrichment program, boosting enrichment from 4.5% to 20%. Iran still denies any intent to create nuclear weapons.