IAEA asks member states for more money for Iran nuclear work

[August 25, 2015]  VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog has asked its member states for more money to carry out its role under a deal to curtail Iran's nuclear program, its chief Yukiya Amano said on Tuesday, saying current funds would run out next month.

The costs for the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) activities on Iran have so far been met through extra-budgetary contributions from members states.

After Tehran and six world powers reached agreement on July 14, sanctions relief for Iran hinges on IAEA reports on the country's past and present nuclear program.

Amano called on member states to provide the IAEA with the money it needs for ongoing work in Iran and said the 800,000 euros ($924,000) per month it had already received would be exhausted by the end of next month.

The agency will need an additional 160,000 euros per month in the run-up to the implementation of the July 14 deal, which is expected early next year. Once officially implemented, the agency will need an annual 9.2 million euros.

Amano said he would discuss to include expenditure on monitoring and verifying the Iran deal in the regular budget, which reached around 350 million euros last year, from 2017 onwards.

(Reporting By Shadia Nasralla; Editing by Dominic Evans)

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