Austria bars Iran nuclear chief from IAEA conference

Austria has barred Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, from attending the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) annual General Conference in Vienna. Eslami, who serves as Iran’s vice-president for nuclear affairs and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was not granted a travel exemption by Austria despite seeking one through the UN sanctions committee.

The conference, which begins on Monday, was meant to serve as a platform for Eslami to address delegates and hold meetings with international representatives. However, the United States and several Western countries, including Britain, France and Germany, urged Austria to deny Eslami’s exemption, following the IAEA Board of Governors’ report of Iran’s non-compliance with nuclear safeguards obligations.

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and denies seeking nuclear weapons, while accusing Western governments of politicising the IAEA’s work. The exclusion of Eslami underscores the practical impact of the restored UN sanctions on Iran, which include travel restrictions on designated individuals and asset freezes. The conference, however, will continue with a lower-ranking Iranian representative addressing delegates later in the week.