Iran was violating nuclear deal with US long before I became president: Trump

US President Donald Trump said today in a tweet that Iran was violating the nuclear deal long before he became president.

"Iran was violating the 150 billion dollar (plus 1.8 billion dollars in cash) nuclear deal with the United States, and others who paid nothing," he said on Twitter, adding,"long before I became president - and they have now breached their stockpile limit. Not good!"

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In an almost similar statement on Tuesday, the White House had said that Tehran was long violating the terms of its nuclear deal with world powers. Trump had said yesterday that Iran was "playing with fire."

However, Iran's foreign minister Zarif said the move was not a violation of the accord, arguing that Tehran was exercising its right to respond to the US walkout.

Iran Fars news agency had reported that the country's enriched uranium stockpile had passed the 300-kg(661 lb) limit allowed under the nuclear deal.

Iran said it was the United States that first violated the deal when Trump withdrew from it while Iranwasstill was in compliance and then re-imposed sanctions.

Meanwhile, EU, France, Germany and the UK urged Iran to reverse its decision to breach the limit on enriched uranium reserves under the 2015 nuclear deal.

"We urge Iran to reverse this step and to refrain from further measures that undermine the nuclear deal," said the joint statement signed by EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini.

"We have been consistent and clear that our commitment to the nuclear deal depends on full compliance by Iran," it added.

The statement said the group was "urgently considering next steps under the terms" of the deal.