Iran’s supreme leader has threatened to pull his country out of the nuclear deal and resume enriching uranium if European countries do not promise to buy Iranian oil and to oppose all new US sanctions against Tehran.

Three days after US secretary of state Mike Pompeo delivered America’s extensive list of demands of Iran for a new nuclear agreement, Ayatollah Khamenei laid out his own demands of European countries for Iran to stay in the 2015 deal.

“If the Europeans hesitate in responding to our demands, Iran is entitled to resuming its nuclear activities,” he said in a statement.

The sweeping demands are likely to be rejected by Britain, France and Germany - diminishing the already narrow hopes of saving of the 2015 nuclear agreement.

The ayatollah made five demands of the European countries.

He called on them to “guarantee the total sales of Iran’s oil”, meaning that Europe must promise to make up for any oil sales from third countries which are cancelled because of US sanctions. Such a guarantee would potentially cost Europe billions of dollars.