Vienna, July 22 (IANS) UN nuclear watchdog chief Yukiya Amano has died at the age of 72, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement on Monday.

Amano led the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since 2009 and was due to step down in March 2020. He had been suffering from unspecified health issues and shown signs of weakness over the past year.

"The Secretariat of the International Atomic Energy Agency regrets to inform with deepest sadness of the passing away of Director General Yukiya Amano," said the IAEA secretariat.

During his tenure, Amano had overseen a period of tense negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear programme.

It is not yet clear who will succeed him, though discussions over who will replace him began last week.

--IANS soni/