Israeli Pres. Peres, IAEA Chief Yukiyo Amano
Israeli Pres. Peres, IAEA Chief Yukiyo AmanoIsrael news photo: Flash 90

United Nations nuclear agency chief Yukio Amano told the UN General Assembly Monday Iran is not cooperating with its investigation.

In his annual report to the world body, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said talks have intensified over the past year. However, he added, “no concrete results have been achieved” thus far.

One year ago Amano reported the IAEA had “credible information that Iran had carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.”

This year, he said, "Iran is not providing the necessary cooperation to enable us to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities. Therefore, we cannot conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.”

Israel and the United States have maintained for years that Iran has been engaged in creating a nuclear weapon, despite Tehran's protests to the contrary.

Iran's uranium enrichment program has proceeded apace, meanwhile, despite increasing international economic sanctions imposed in hopes of persuading the Islamic Republic to curb its nuclear development activities.

This year Iran reached and passed its goal of achieving 20 percent uranium enrichment – the level at which it is possible to produce military-grade nuclear fuel. At the same time, Tehran's threats to annihilate the State of Israel also continued unabated.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned Monday evening in a blunt statement that Israel is ready to strike Iran "if necessary," according to the AFP news agency.