Iranian Official Blocked From UN Nuclear Meeting at US’s Urging

Iranian Vice President for Nuclear Affairs Mohammad Eslami was unable to attend the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) general conference in Vienna due to pressure from the US administration, according to a US official. Eslami, who was to address the UN nuclear watchdog on Monday, was denied entry by Austria, following a US request.

Austria’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The denial of Eslami's UN-requested sanctions waiver, which would have allowed him to enter Austria, followed urging from the US, said the official. Despite a lower-level Iranian representative potentially addressing the gathering later in the week, Eslami's absence means a top emissary from Tehran will not be able to speak at the conference’s start.