Signal US blocks Iran's nuclear chief from IAEA General Conference in Vienna

Summary

The United States barred Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, from attending the annual General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna after the UN Security Council rejected any waiver of 'snapback' sanctions reimposed at the UN. Eslami and his accompanying delegation were forced to cancel their trip to the five-day conference after Austria revoked his visa. Iran's ambassador to the IAEA called the cancellation 'a stark indication of a political act,' while Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the United States had pressured Austria into the move. The United States said it opposed the exemption because Eslami's participation could allow Iran to use the IAEA meeting for propaganda while failing to cooperate fully with the nuclear watchdog. Iran and Russia said the move was part of a broader effort to prevent Iranian officials from obtaining visas for international travel.