United Nations, June 10 (IANS): The UN Security Council on Tuesday extended the mandate of the panel of experts monitoring the implementation of sanctions against Iran for a year until July 9, 2016.

The 15-member Council made the decision by "determining that proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as their means of delivery, continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security," Xinhua news agency reported.

The UN Council has requested the panel of experts to provide a planned programme of work within 30 days and submit a mid-term report by December 2015.

Last week, representatives from Iran and the P5 1 group (Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany), began a new round of nuclear talks in the Austrian capital of Vienna with the aim of preparing a preliminary draft for a possible nuclear deal by June 30.

On November 24, 2013, world powers and Iran reached an interim agreement: Iran would suspend some sensitive nuclear activities in exchange for limited sanction relief.