The United States blocked Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, from attending the 70th IAEA General Conference in Vienna by opposing the waiver of his international sanctions, The Zioneer reports. Iran's delegation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi condemned the move as "childish and bullying," warning it sets a dangerous precedent for all IAEA member states.
The United States blocked Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, from attending the 70th IAEA General Conference in Vienna on Monday by opposing the waiver of his international sanctions, effectively preventing the issuance of his visa. Iran's delegation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi condemned the move as "childish and bullying," warning it sets a dangerous precedent for all IAEA member states.
This development is the latest in a series of obstacles that unfolded earlier today. At 07:42 Jerusalem, Iranian state media reported that Eslami's visa to the conference had been canceled on Saturday, and his plane was forced to turn back to Tehran mid-flight. Shortly thereafter, Bloomberg reported that Austria, at the request of the United States, denied entry to Eslami. The thread has now escalated from a mid-flight cancellation to a direct U.S. freeze on the sanctions waiver, marking a sharp escalation in diplomatic friction.
The move comes amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions over Tehran's nuclear program. As The Zioneer has reported, the IAEA has been central to monitoring Iranian compliance, and Iran has repeatedly denied inspectors access to key facilities. The blocking of a senior Iranian official at the agency's annual conference underscores the deepening standoff, with negotiations over the nuclear file remaining stalled.
It remains unclear whether Iran will send a lower-ranking delegate to the conference in Eslami's place, or how this incident will affect the proceedings. The Iranian response suggests further diplomatic escalation may be forthcoming.
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
- Open-source intake