U.N. atomic chief says Iran meeting terms of nuclear deal

VIENNA – The head of the U.N. agency monitoring Iran’s compliance with nuclear deal said Monday that Tehran is implementing the agreement – but says the ultimate judgment on compliance with the deal rests with the six world powers that signed the pact with the Islamic Republic.

Yukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency told the 35-nation IAEA board that the terms Iran accepted “are being implemented” – an assessment that comes as members of the U.S. administration argue otherwise.

The U.S. administration has faced two 90-day certification deadlines to state whether Iran was meeting the conditions needed to continue enjoying sanctions relief under the deal and has both times backed away from a showdown.

But U.S. President Donald Trump more recently has said he does not expect to certify Iran’s compliance again. The next deadline is in mid-October.

Pressed on whether he is saying that Iran is adhering to the terms of the deal, Amano said that can be determined only by a nation that is “party to the agreement.”