The major step is the culmination of several festering stand-offs between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran.

The UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors on Thursday formally found that Iran was not 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.

He said Israel "succeeded in influencing" the diplomatic process and the Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington's permission. Iran earlier accused the U.S. of being complicit in Israel's attacks,