France and Iran have agreed to work together to find conditions for resuming international talks aimed at saving the 2015 nuclear deal, French president Emmanuel Macron has said.

Mr Macron said he spoke for more than an hour with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani on Saturday, and said they are trying to find a way to resume dialogue between world powers and Iran.

It comes as Iranian officials get set to announce an increase in uranium enrichment to 5 per cent – an amount above the limit set by the landmark agreement.

“The main announcement [on Sunday] will be the increase of the level of enrichment to 5 per cent percent from 3.67 per cent that we agreed under the deal,” an Iranian official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The violation happens at a time of heightened US-Iranian confrontation, a year after Donald Trump pulled the US out the pact and reintroduced sanctions lifted under the accord.

Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Show all 17 1 /17 Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, their surface-to-air missile is seen as it shoots down a US surveillance drone EPA Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures This photo shows US RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned surveillance drone. A drone of this model was shot down by Iran on Thursday 21 June AFP/Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures An oil tanker is on fire after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13. The US has blamed Iran for the attack Reuters Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, debris from the downed US drone is seen after it was recovered from Iranian waters AFP/Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13 Reuters Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures US President Trump holds up a signed executive order to increase sanctions on Iran on 24 June AP Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Iranian President Rouhani stated in a televised address that the White House is "afflicted by mental retardation" following the increase in sanctions on 25 June EPA Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures An Iranian navy boat tackles the fire on the Norwegian owned Front Altair oil tanker after it was hit in a suspected attack AFP/Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, debris from the downed US drone is seen after it was recovered from Iranian waters AFP/Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13 Reuters Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures A screenshot from a video released by the US Department of Defense that the US claims to show Iranian removing an unexploded limpet mine form the hull of the Japan-owned ship that was attacked in the Gulf of Oman on June 13 Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures An item reportedly found on the Japan-owned oil tanker that was attacked on June 13 in the Gulf of Oman AFP/Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures A handout photograph from the US Department of Defense shows a composite material that the US claim was left behind on the hull of the Japan-owned oil tanker following the removal of an unexploded limpet mine Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures A view from the cabin of an Iranian navy boat as it tackles the fire on the Norwegian owned Front Altair oil tanker after it was hit in a suspected attack EPA Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Release by US government A picture released by U.S. Central Command shows damage to the hull of the oil tanker Kokuka Courageous. The picture suggests that the ship is 'likely' to have been hit by a mine as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo moves to blame Iran for the suspected attack Reuters Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13 Reuters Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Release by US government A picture released by U.S. Central Command shows damage to the hull of the oil tanker Kokuka Courageous. The pictures suggests that the ship is 'likely' to have been hit by a mine as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo moves to blame Iran for the suspected attack EPA

“The President of the Republic has agreed with his Iranian counterpart to explore by July 15 conditions to resume dialogue between the parties,” Mr Macron’s office said in a statement.

His office added that he would keep on talking with Iranian authorities and other involved parties to “engage in a de-escalation of tensions related to Iranian nuclear issue”.

Tehran’s planned announcement is, however, a major setback for France, Britain and Germany, co-signatories of the deal who have pressed for months to persuade Iran to remain committed to the accord.

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani visits the Bushehr nuclear power plant in 2015 (EPA)

Tehran said that the Europeans have done “too little, too late” to salvage the pact by protecting Iran’s economic interests from US sanctions.

“The US sanctions are a full-scale economic war against Iran that could create more crisis in the region and in the world,” Mr Rouhani told Mr Macron, according to Iranian state TV.

“This would be a very worrisome step that could substantially shorten the time Iran would need to produce the material needed for nuclear weapons,” said Miles Pomper, a senior fellow at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies’ James Marin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

“Both Iran and the Trump administration should be looking for ways to de-escalate the crisis, rather than exacerbate it.”

Iran’s main demand – in talks with the European parties to the deal and as a precondition to any talks with the United States – is to be allowed to sell its oil at the levels before Washington pulled out of the deal and restored sanctions.

Iranian crude exports were around 300,000 barrels per day or less in late June, industry sources said, a fraction of the more than 2.5 million barrels per day Iran shipped in April 2018, the month before Mr Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal.