Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami was prevented from attending the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) annual conference in Vienna after the United States objected to a travel exemption that would have allowed him to bypass UN sanctions. According to Iranian state media, Eslami and his delegation boarded a regular flight to Vienna but were stopped en route due to what Tehran called US‑driven obstructions, forcing him to return to Tehran.
Iran accused Austria—the host nation—of revoking Eslami’s visa under American pressure. Austrian authorities had initially granted the visa but later withdrew it, a move Iran labelled politically motivated. The conference runs until Friday, and Eslami had been scheduled to participate as Iran’s top nuclear official.
At the opening session, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, criticised the decision, saying the cancellation and its legal justification reflected “advanced formal politicisation” of the organisation. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei echoed the claim, alleging that Washington pressured Vienna and that the incident fits a broader pattern of efforts to block Iranian officials from international travel. Russia also backed Iran’s position.
The US argued it opposed granting an exemption because Eslami is among officials targeted by sanctions reimposed under the UN Security Council’s snapback mechanism. These sanctions were originally lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, but reinstated after the US withdrew from the agreement in 2018. Iran and Russia do not recognise the snapback sanctions, while Western powers continue to enforce them.