US blocks Iran nuclear chief from attending key Vienna conference

Iran slams Austria’s visa denial for atomic chief, accusing the US of governmental bullying astatine the IAEA conference.

The United States has barred Iran’s atomic chief, Mohammad Eslami, from attending this week’s yearly General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) astatine its office successful Vienna, aft the United Nations Security Council rejected immoderate waiver of “snapback” sanctions.

Eslami and his accompanying delegation were forced to cancel their travel to the five-day league aft Austria revoked his visa, Iranian authorities media said.

The caput of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization is taxable to a UN Security Council question prohibition nether the pre-2015 multilateral “snapback” framework, which was reinstated past twelvemonth by European signatories. It mandates that subordinate states forestall the introduction oregon transit of designated Iranian officials who are linked to the country’s atomic and ballistic rocket programmes.

Speaking astatine the league opening, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, confirmed to delegations that Eslami’s visa had primitively been approved, calling the determination a nonstop infringement connected Iran’s rights arsenic a subordinate state.

“By obstructing our afloat and effectual participation, the denial of entree contravenes some the missive and the tone of the ineligible framework” governing attendance astatine meetings of the IAEA, helium said, adding that Vienna’s determination not to assistance a visa to Eslami “violates the big country’s obligation”.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused the US of pressuring Austria into the decision, arsenic Eslami had regularly attended and addressed the IAEA’s General Conference successful Vienna since being appointed caput of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization successful 2021.

Both Iran and Russia viewed the incidental arsenic portion of a coordinated effort to thwart Iranian officials from securing planetary question visas.

“The cancellation and alleged ineligible justification precocious for it are a stark denotation of a governmental enactment and precocious ceremonial politicisation of this organisation,” Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA told the conference.

Last year, France, Germany and the United Kingdom (the E3) triggered the snapback mechanics of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to automatically retrieve UN sanctions that had been temporarily suspended nether UN Security Council Resolution 2231, erstwhile the JCPOA took effect successful 2015. US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord 3 years later.

The snapback sanctions see question bans, a UN accepted arms embargo, restrictions connected activities related to ballistic rocket improvement and capabilities, plus freezes and a prohibition connected producing nuclear-related technology.

Iran and its allies, including Russia, bash not recognise the reimposed sanctions.

Austria’s presumption arsenic big authorities to UN bodies allows it to petition question prohibition derogations for sanctioned officials attending planetary conferences, and it initially sought a UN Security Council travel-ban exemption for Iran’s atomic chief. But the US objected.

Under the UN committee’s strict “no-objection” rule, “Austria was obliged to contradict 1 subordinate of the Iranian delegation the introduction into its territory”, Austria’s ambassador to the IAEA, Christian Ebner, told the conference.

US Ambassador Preston Wells Griffith III said his state had objected successful New York to granting an exemption, which is wherefore the exertion was denied.

“His (Eslami’s) information would person lone resulted successful Iran exploiting IAEA proceedings arsenic a signifier for propaganda portion sidestepping substantive cooperation, undermining the credibility of the precise assemblage charged with verifying its atomic commitments,” helium said, referring to a standoff implicit atomic inspections.

Following US and Israeli strikes connected its atomic facilities during the 12-day war successful June of past year, Tehran has denied IAEA inspectors entree to the affected sites, a breach of its ineligible obligations nether the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran has maintained that it is not pursuing atomic weapons and its programme is wholly peaceful.

On Monday, Trump said Iran wanted to scope a woody with Washington, signalling a imaginable diplomatic opening contempt the Strait of Hormuz impasse, widening determination escalations and the postponement of talks betwixt Gulf Arab states and Iran.

“The failing Nation of Iran wants to marque a deal, rapidly and badly. I volition find whether oregon not the U.S.A. volition take to prosecute – The conception of which we are unfastened to,” the president wrote connected Truth Social.