IAEA to get more money for Iran nuclear deal monitoring

VIENNA — Several states pledged on Thursday to back a UN nuclear agency request for 4.6 million euros ($5.7 million) as soon as possible to pay for its monitoring of an extended, interim nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

The support voiced at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) highlighted the political importance of efforts to end a 12-year dispute over Iran's nuclear programme, also for countries not directly involved in the diplomacy.

Norway pledged 1 million euros — more than a fifth of the total — and the Netherlands promised 100,000 euros, diplomats who attended the closed-door session in Vienna said.

The United States and Britain - two of the powers engaged in negotiations with Iran - also said they would help. "We would like to announce our intent to make an additional extra-budgetary contribution," US Ambassador Laura Kennedy said.

Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia failed last month to meet a self-imposed deadline to resolve the nuclear standoff, giving themselves seven more months for negotiations.

As a result, the preliminary deal reached in late 2013 will remain in force. IAEA inspectors are checking that Iran lives up to its commitments under that accord to halt its most sensitive nuclear work in exchange for some easing of sanctions.

Yukiya Amano, director general of the IAEA told the agency's 35-nation governing board about the need for new voluntary budget contributions, in addition to requests totalling 6.5 million euros in January and July.

"I invite member states which are in a position to do so to make the necessary funding available as soon as possible in order to ensure smooth continuation of our activities," he said.

The European Union said it was "prepared to consider sympathetically the resource needs" of the IAEA.

Iran denies Western allegations it has been seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability. But its refusal to scale back uranium enrichment has drawn international sanctions.

Iranian Ambassador Reza Najafi said negotiations on a final agreement had made good progress and a "lasting solution is closer than ever".

IAEA inspectors now visit Iran's enrichment facilities of Natanz and Fordow daily, compared to about once a week before the November 2013 agreement. The agency has also procured specialised equipment for its analytical work.

Amano said the IAEA's workload had greatly increased and that many staff "working on this matter will give up their Christmas and New Year holidays this year".