Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned that the country would leave the five-decade international treaty that prevents that spread of atomic weapons if its alleged violations of the 2015 nuclear deal were brought before the United Nations Security Council.

Mr Zarif, cited by the official Islamic Republic News Agency, said Iran's latest warning to leave international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was in response to the triggering of a dispute mechanism in the 2015 deal by the UK, France and Germany over Tehran's breaches of the agreement.

Mr Zarif has previously warned Iran could leave the treaty, which limits nations' nuclear activities in exchange for access to atomic technology, but the latest threat comes at a time of heightened tensions between the west and Tehran.

Iran's began reducing its commitment to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action after the United States administration of Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and imposed harsh sanctions on the country, badly crippling its economy.