Iranian state media reported Monday that Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, had his visa to attend an IAEA conference in Vienna canceled on Saturday — after he had already departed for Austria. His plane was forced to change course and return to Tehran, according to the reports cited by Israeli journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12).
Iranian state media announced Monday that Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), was prevented from attending an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference in Vienna after his visa was revoked. According to the report, the cancellation notice arrived on Saturday — after Eslami's plane had already departed Iran. The aircraft was instructed to change course and return to Tehran.
The incident is the latest in a series of diplomatic tensions between Iran and the IAEA, which have been the subject of multiple reports by The Zioneer. In recent months, Tehran has repeatedly barred IAEA inspectors from damaged nuclear sites and rejected U.S. claims of progress toward nuclear verification. The visa revocation for a senior Iranian official traveling to an IAEA event underscores the deteriorating working relationship between the Islamic Republic and the global nuclear watchdog.
No further details have been provided regarding the reason for the visa cancellation or which country revoked it. The IAEA has not yet commented.
3 developments
- DevelopingIran rejects IAEA access requests, warns agency chief Grossi
- DevelopingSource: Iran refuses to meet IAEA chief Grossi at Switzerland talks
- StrongIran bars IAEA from inspecting damaged nuclear sites until special protocol agreed
- StrongIAEA Board Refers Iran to UN Security Council for First Time in 20 Years
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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