Iran failing to comply with nuclear obligations, says UN watchdog

The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors on Thursday formally found that Iran isn't complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years, a move that could lead to further tensions and set in motion an effort to restore United Nations sanctions on Tehran later this year.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's board, which represents the agency's member nations, voted for the resolution at a meeting in Vienna, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-doors vote.

In the draft resolution seen by The Associated Press, the board of governors renews a call on Iran to provide answers without delay in a long-running investigation into uranium traces found at several locations that Tehran has failed to declare as nuclear sites.

Western officials suspect that the uranium traces could provide evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons programme until 2003.

The resolution was put forward by France, the UK, and Germany, as well as the United States.