Tasnim – China said Tuesday it regrets Iran's decision to exceed a limit on enriched uranium reserves under a 2015 nuclear deal, but said US "maximum pressure is the root cause" of tensions.

"China regrets the measures taken by Iran, but at the same time, we have emphasized on many previous occasions that the US's maximum pressure is the root cause of the current fraught tensions," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing on Tuesday.

"We call on all parties to view this from a long-term and overall perspective, exercise restraint and uphold the JCPOA together so that there won't be further escalation in the tense situation," he said.

On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced that the country’s enriched uranium stockpile has passed the 300-kilogram limit.

He said that Tehran was exercising its right to respond to Washington's withdrawal from the deal and would only reconsider its decision if France, Germany, and the UK honor their commitments under the agreement.