The U.N. nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors on Wednesday backed the agency's chief, Yukiya Amano, for a third term as director general after he ran unopposed on a platform of continuity in dealing with issues like Iran's nuclear programme.

Amano, a 69-year-old career diplomat from Japan, has headed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since 2009, a period that included the run-up to Iran's nuclear agreement with major powers in 2015 and the aftermath of the Fukushima No. 1 meltdown disaster in 2011.

The Board of Governors' decision to reappoint Amano took place without a vote, meaning no country expressed opposition. It must be confirmed by a meeting of all IAEA member states in September, which is widely seen as a formality.