UN nuclear watchdog chief Yukiya Amano has passed away, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Monday.

“The Secretariat of the International Atomic Energy Agency regrets to inform with deepest sadness of the passing away of Director General Yukiya Amano,” the IAEA secretariat said in a note to member states.

Last week, the agency said that Amano’s health problems had forced him to plan an early end to his term, which was originally set to expire in December 2021.

“The director general is in contact with members of the board of governors regarding his future plans,” the agency’s press office said in a statement then. “He will make a formal communication to the board at an appropriate time.”

Amano, who was in charge of the international body inspecting Iran’s nuclear program, has time and again reaffirmed Iran’s compliance with its nuclear-related commitments under a 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Source: Presstv