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UNITED NATIONS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes Iran's action to cross the nuclear deal limit would neither help preserve the plan nor secure economic benefits for the Iranian people, his deputy spokesman said Monday.

At a regular briefing, Farhan Haq said Guterres is aware of the announcement that Iran may have begun enriching uranium beyond the 3.67 percent limit set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, using the formal name of the deal.

Earlier Monday, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran announced that Iran has raised the concentration of its enriched uranium to 4.5 percent, crossing the limit of 3.67 percent set by the 2015 deal.

"If confirmed, such action by the Islamic Republic of Iran would neither help preserve the plan nor secure tangible economic benefits for the Iranian people," Guterres said.

Haq further said Guterres encourages Iran to continue implementing all its nuclear-related commitments under the deal as the participants continue to seek ways to overcome the considerable challenges the country faces.

In 2015, Iran reached the nuclear deal with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. Under the deal, Iran agreed to limit its production of fissile material in exchange for sanction relief.

The Unites States withdrew from the deal over a year ago and re-imposed economic sanctions on Iran. The remaining signatories to the deal with Iran are Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.