(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was still short of 1.6 million euros (2.2 million U.S. dollars) to implement a strengthened investigation of Iran's nuclear program, the chief of the UN nuclear watchdog said on Monday.



In a statement to the Board of Governors, Yukiya Amano said his agency needed the money to take the verification role related to the Joint Plan of Action, an interim deal signed between Iran and six major powers in Geneva last Novembe



"Seventeen countries have expressed interest in contribution extra-budgetary fund, As of today, we are still short of some 1.6 million euros, I invite member states which wish to do so to make contributions," he said, according to Xinhua news agenc



An extra-budgetary fund of 5.5 million euros (7.58 million U.S. dollars) is needed for IAEA's monitoring and verification role in implementing the nuclear-related measures under the Geneva deal