US Blocks Iran Nuclear Chief From Attending UN Meeting in Vienna

Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, was blocked from attending the annual general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna after the United States applied pressure.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed Washington's role, stating Eslami is a sanctioned individual and his request for a waiver from sanctions was denied. Iranian state TV reported that Eslami and a delegation took a regular flight to Vienna on Saturday but were blocked on the way because of obstructions by the United States. Austria, as the host country for the IAEA, had requested an exemption from the UN travel ban for Eslami, but the UN Security Council rejected the request due to a lack of consensus, according to the Austrian foreign ministry.

Ambassador Christian Ebner stated Austria was obliged to deny one member of the Iranian delegation the entry into its territory. Iran condemned the exclusion as a serious breach of its rights as an IAEA member state. Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, criticized Austria, and Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called Austria's decision absolutely unjustified, summoning Austria's charge d'affaires.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, a senior official from Iran's nuclear agency, accused the US of bullying political pressure, warning it set a precedent. The Russian ambassador to the UN in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, echoed Iran's remarks, stating Austria had grossly violated its obligations as host nation. Eslami is among those targeted by sanctions reimposed under the snapback mechanism at the UN Security Council, which Western powers triggered last year after the US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018. Iran and its allies, including Russia, do not recognize these reimposed sanctions. Eslami had attended and delivered a speech at last year's IAEA event.