US blocks Iran nuclear chief from attending key Vienna conference

What the report says

The United States blocked Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, from attending the International Atomic Energy Agency’s annual General Conference in Vienna this week, according to Al Jazeera’s report. Iran said Eslami and his delegation had to cancel their trip after Austria revoked his visa, following objections raised in New York under UN procedures tied to sanctions on designated Iranian officials.

At the opening of the conference, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, said the visa had initially been approved and argued that denying entry undermined Iran’s rights as a member state. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also accused Washington of pressuring Austria to reverse the decision. Austria, which hosts UN bodies in Vienna, said it was bound by the UN committee’s no-objection rule after the United States objected to an exemption.

Eslami is subject to a UN travel ban under the “snapback” sanctions framework linked to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile activities. Those sanctions were reimposed by European signatories last year after the collapse of earlier restrictions under the 2015 nuclear agreement. The United States said it opposed letting Eslami attend because his presence would have allowed Iran to use the forum for propaganda rather than cooperation.

The dispute comes amid continued tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and limits on IAEA inspections. Iran says its program is peaceful and rejects the reimposed sanctions, while the US and its allies have pushed for tighter scrutiny.