The acting head of the UN's nuclear watchdog will meet officials in Iran this weekend, the organisation said Friday, as Tehran prepares to detail its latest scale-back to commitments under a 2015 deal to curb its nuclear programme.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement that it is Acting Director-General Cornel Feruta "will travel to Tehran on Saturday for meetings with high-level Iranian officials on Sunday, 8 September".

"The visit is part of ongoing interactions between the IAEA and Iran," the statement said.

These also included "the IAEA's verification and monitoring in Iran under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)," the name for the 2015 deal with world powers over Iran's nuclear activities.

On Saturday, Iranian officials are expected to announce details of the third round of cuts in nuclear commitments under the JCPOA, which Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said will affect "the field of research and development".

Tehran has already twice breached limits laid down in the deal in response to the US withdrawal from the accord in May 2018.

On July 1, Iran said it had increased its stockpile of enriched uranium to beyond the limit set by the agreement.

A week later, it announced it had exceeded the deal's uranium enrichment limit of 3.67 per cent.

Earlier on Friday, the European Commission in Brussels emphasised its reliance on the UN's nuclear watchdog is able to monitor Iran's activities as it voiced "great concern" at Tehran's shrinking back from the nuclear accord.

The IAEA had a "key role in monitoring and verifying the implementation by Iran of the nuclear commitments", Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told a media briefing.

"Our commitment to the nuclear deal depends on full compliance by Iran," she said, adding that the EU based its assessment of that "on the reports done by the International Atomic Energy Agency".

European Union members France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have been scrambling to find ways to save the deal in recent months by offsetting the effects of US sanctions, but so far without success.

The acting head of the UN's nuclear watchdog will meet officials in Iran this weekend, the organisation said Friday, as Tehran prepares to detail its latest scale-back to commitments under a 2015 deal to curb its nuclear programme.

The acting head of the UN's nuclear watchdog will meet officials in Iran this weekend, the organisation said Friday, as Tehran prepares to detail its latest scale-back to commitments under a 2015 deal to curb its nuclear programme. The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement that it is Acting Director-General Cornel Feruta "will travel to Tehran on Saturday for meetings with high-level Iranian officials on Sunday, 8 September". "The visit is part of ongoing interactions between the IAEA and Iran," the statement said. These also included "the IAEA's verification and monitoring in Iran under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)," the name for the 2015 deal with world powers over Iran's nuclear activities. On Saturday, Iranian officials are expected to announce details of the third round of cuts in nuclear commitments under the JCPOA, which Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said will affect "the field of research and development". Tehran has already twice breached limits laid down in the deal in response to the US withdrawal from the accord in May 2018. On July 1, Iran said it had increased its stockpile of enriched uranium to beyond the limit set by the agreement. A week later, it announced it had exceeded the deal's uranium enrichment limit of 3.67 per cent. Earlier on Friday, the European Commission in Brussels emphasised its reliance on the UN's nuclear watchdog is able to monitor Iran's activities as it voiced "great concern" at Tehran's shrinking back from the nuclear accord. The IAEA had a "key role in monitoring and verifying the implementation by Iran of the nuclear commitments", Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told a media briefing. "Our commitment to the nuclear deal depends on full compliance by Iran," she said, adding that the EU based its assessment of that "on the reports done by the International Atomic Energy Agency". European Union members France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have been scrambling to find ways to save the deal in recent months by offsetting the effects of US sanctions, but so far without success.

Acting United Nations nuclear watchdog head to meet Iranian officials

The United Nation nuclear watchdog said on Thursday - it had fixed the timetable for the election of a new director-general following the death of Yukiya Amano two weeks ago.

Member states decided that nominations would be received until September 5, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said following a special meeting of its board of governors in Vienna.

"The Board expects to appoint a director-general in October 2019 and, in any case, envisages that the person appointed will assume office no later than 1 January 2020," it said in a statement.

The US had pushed for a timetable to ensure a new chief would be named by September, but other states were understood to want more time for the process.&nbsp;

The race to succeed Amano will be keenly watched given heightened international tensions over Iran's nuclear activities.

The UN agency is currently confronted with the unravelling of the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, which began when President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/us-senate-confirms-kelly-craft-as-ambassador-to-united-nations-239845&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjerMTIr-HjAhUWinAKHZoMBUsQFjAIegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2dKJ5nUXSJsB2FBU7DyArL">United States</a> out of the agreement in May 2018.

At another special meeting last week, the IAEA elected Romanian diplomat Cornel Feruta as its acting director-general until a permanent successor is elected "in order to ensure the orderly and smooth functioning of the Agency".

Feruta has been tipped as one of the likely candidates for the post along with Rafael Grossi, Argentina's ambassador to the IAEA.

Feruta, 43, who worked as a journalist before entering Romania's diplomatic service in 1998, was one of Amano's closest collaborators and had been serving as the agency's chief coordinator.

Amano had led the agency since December 2009 and died on July 18 at the age of 72. No details were released about the cause of death, but he had been ill for several months.

The United Nation nuclear watchdog said on Thursday - it had fixed the timetable for the election of a new director-general following the death of Yukiya Amano two weeks ago.

The United Nation nuclear watchdog said on Thursday - it had fixed the timetable for the election of a new director-general following the death of Yukiya Amano two weeks ago. Member states decided that nominations would be received until September 5, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said following a special meeting of its board of governors in Vienna. "The Board expects to appoint a director-general in October 2019 and, in any case, envisages that the person appointed will assume office no later than 1 January 2020," it said in a statement. The US had pushed for a timetable to ensure a new chief would be named by September, but other states were understood to want more time for the process. The race to succeed Amano will be keenly watched given heightened international tensions over Iran's nuclear activities. The UN agency is currently confronted with the unravelling of the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, which began when President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of the agreement in May 2018. At another special meeting last week, the IAEA elected Romanian diplomat Cornel Feruta as its acting director-general until a permanent successor is elected "in order to ensure the orderly and smooth functioning of the Agency". Feruta has been tipped as one of the likely candidates for the post along with Rafael Grossi, Argentina's ambassador to the IAEA. Feruta, 43, who worked as a journalist before entering Romania's diplomatic service in 1998, was one of Amano's closest collaborators and had been serving as the agency's chief coordinator. Amano had led the agency since December 2009 and died on July 18 at the age of 72. No details were released about the cause of death, but he had been ill for several months.

United Nations nuclear watchdog aims to name permanent chief by October

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Acting United Nations nuclear watchdog head to meet Iranian officials

United Nations nuclear watchdog aims to name permanent chief by October