VIENNA, July 25 (Reuters) - Romanian diplomat Cornel Ferutawill head the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) untilmember states agree on a permanent successor to deceasedDirector General Yukiya Amano, the United Nations' nuclearwatchdog said on Thursday.
The IAEA announced on Monday that Amano had died, leavingthe agency with a leadership vacuum at a time of rising tensionsbetween Iran and the West following Washington's decision lastyear to quit a 2015 international deal that curbed Tehran'snuclear programme in return for an easing of economic sanctions.
U.S. President Donald Trump has reimposed sanctions on Iranand the fate of the landmark deal, which the IAEA has beenoverseeing, is unclear.
"The Board of Governors has decided to designate Mr CornelFeruta as acting Director General until a Director Generalassumes office," the IAEA said on Thursday.
However, the political backdrop means that negotiations onwho will become permanent IAEA chief are likely to be difficult.The Director General is appointed by the agency's 35-nationboard of governors for four years.
The candidate must be approved by the General Conference.Its regular annual meeting will be held September 16-20.
The U.N. agency did not lay out a timeframe for naming apermanent successor to Amano.
Feruta, the agency's chief coordinator who was effectivelyAmano's chief of staff, has been mentioned by diplomats as alikely candidate for the top job.
He has supported the Iran deal in the past, saying last yearthat the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) hadimproved access to Iran significantly.
Another potential candidate is Argentina's ambassador to theIAEA, Rafael Grossi, though others could enter the fray.
While each candidate will have his or her own managementstyle, it is widely expected that there will be no major changein the agency's handling of its most high-profile issues,including Iran and a potential return to North Korea, whichexpelled IAEA inspectors in 2009.(Reporting by Kirsti KnolleEditing by David Goodman)