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<\/a>President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday Iran would not wage war against any nation, while Russia told the United States it should drop what it called provocative plans to deploy more troops to the Middle East.<\/span><\/p>\nFears of a confrontation between Iran and the United States have mounted since Washington blamed its long-time foe for Thursday\u2019s attacks on two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.<\/span><\/p>\n Relations had already deteriorated following President Donald Trump\u2019s decision to withdraw the United States from an international pact under which Iran agreed curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.<\/span><\/p>\n Since exiting that accord in May last year Trump has restored and extended U.S. sanctions, forcing countries around the world to boycott Iranian oil or face sanctions of their own.<\/span><\/p>\n Tehran, which has denied involvement the tanker attacks last week and in May, has urged other signatories to take action to save the nuclear pact or see Iran turn its back on the deal.<\/span><\/p>\n On Monday Iran warned it would soon breach limits on how much enriched uranium it can stockpile under a 2015 nuclear deal, which had sought to limit its nuclear capabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n Exceeding the uranium cap at the heart of the accord could prompt a diplomatic crisis, forcing the other signatories, which include China, Russia and European powers, to confront Iran.<\/span><\/p>\n The White House National Security Council condemned the development as \u201cnuclear blackmail.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The growing standoff drew calls for restraint from Russia and China, both signatories of the nuclear accord.<\/span><\/p>\n China\u2019s top diplomat warned that the world should not open a \u201cPandora\u2019s Box\u201d in the Middle East, as he denounced U.S. pressure on Iran and called on it not to drop out of the landmark nuclear deal.<\/span><\/p>\n Russia told the United States to cease actions that looked like a conscious attempt to provoke war with Iran, and urged restraint on all sides.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat we see are unending and sustained U.S. attempts to crank up political, psychological, economic and yes military pressure on Iran in quite a provocative way,\u201d Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was cited as saying by Russian news agencies.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey (these actions) cannot be assessed as anything but a conscious course to provoke war,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n