Iran · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
United States Blocks Iran Nuclear Chief Mohammad Eslami From IAEA Conference in Vienna
Iran's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami barred from IAEA conference in Vienna after visa denial. Iran condemns Vienna visa block and summons Austrian envoy over the obstruction.
Whether US pressure is the decisive cause.
7 of 9 outlets skipped it: IAEA DG Grossi allowed a resolution process to proceed.
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Same story, two versions
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Wwanaen.com
“The Trump administration has pressured Austria into denying entry to Mohammad Eslami”Read the original ↗
Ttasnimnews.ir
“Austria’s claim that it took this action under US pressure does not relieve the host government of its responsibility”Read the original ↗
WANA blames direct Trump pressure, while Tasnim disputes Austria’s US-pressure excuse and stresses responsibility.
Eslami barred in Vienna
Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami was blocked from attending an annual conference on Sept 14 at the headquarters of the UN’s nuclear agency in Vienna, Iranian state television said, adding that he returned to Tehran after being blocked on the way because of obstructions by the United States.
“Austria should have issued entry visas to the Iranian delegation”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Austria should have issued entry visas to the Iranian delegation and that the Austrian chargé d’affaires in Tehran was summoned to the Foreign Ministry after Iran formally conveyed its protest.
Baghaei said Austria’s claim that it took this action under US pressure does not relieve the host government of its responsibility, and he argued that “They are seeking to prevent Iran’s voice from reaching the world.”
The Straits Times reported that Eslami was due to attend the annual general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which runs until Sept 18 in Austria, and that Tehran summoned Austria’s charge d’affaires in response to the decision to bar Eslami.
Iran blames US pressure
At a press conference in Tehran attended by AFP, Baghaei said, “The Austrian government’s refusal to issue visas to the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a completely unjustified decision,” linking the visa refusal to American pressure.
The Times of Israel likewise quoted Baghaei saying, “It is clear to us that this incident occurred under American pressure, but that does not absolve the Austrian government of responsibility.”
The Straits Times reported that a diplomatic source in Vienna, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Eslami was refused entry to Austria due to US pressure.
In parallel, تسنیم reported that Baghaei said the exclusion from the IAEA conference comes amid worsening relations between Iran and Western countries and that Austria had reportedly sought an exemption from the UN sanctions committee to allow Eslami to attend, but the request was not granted.
IAEA stakes and next steps
The Straits Times said Eslami attended the conference in 2025 and delivered a speech there on behalf of Iran, and it reported that he was blocked from attending the Sept 14-18 conference at the UN’s nuclear agency in Vienna.
“a lower-level Iranian delegate is expected to deliver remarks later this week instead”
WANA News Agency said that after the blockade of Eslami’s scheduled address, a lower-level Iranian delegate is expected to deliver remarks later this week instead, and it described the move as pressure on Austria following rejection of a UN sanctions waiver.
The WANA report also said the move followed a resolution against Iran passed by the IAEA Board of Governors on Wednesday, September 9, and it quoted an Iranian warning that weaponizing the IAEA to build political pressure and justify military aggression damages the agency’s standing.
In Vienna, the AP account cited by Toronto Star said Eslami is not expected to attend for the first time in years because he is banned from international travel, and it added that Austria sought a waiver of the travel ban on Eslami with the U.N. sanctions committee but it was not granted.