Iran nuclear chief barred from Austria, Tehran blames US

Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, was unable to attend the International Atomic Energy Agency’s, IAEA, annual conference in Vienna on Monday after Austria reportedly denied him entry, with Tehran accusing the United States of pressuring Vienna to block the Iranian delegation.

Iranian state television reported that Eslami and members of his delegation flew to Vienna on Saturday but were prevented from entering Austria. The broadcaster said Eslami had since returned to Tehran.

“Mohammad Eslami and his delegation took a regular flight to Vienna on Saturday, but were blocked on the way because of obstructions by the United States,” the report said.

Eslami was expected to represent Iran at the IAEA’s annual General Conference, which opened in Vienna on Monday and is scheduled to continue until Friday.

The Iranian nuclear chief had attended the conference last year, when he delivered a speech on behalf of Iran, which is a member of the UN nuclear watchdog.

Following the development, the Iranian government summoned Austria’s charge d’affaires to formally protest the decision to deny entry to its delegation.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei described the Austrian government’s action as unjustified and accused Washington of influencing the decision.

“The Austrian government’s refusal to issue visas to the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a completely unjustified decision,” Baghaei said at a press conference in Tehran.

“It is clear to us that this incident occurred under American pressure, but that does not absolve the Austrian government of responsibility,” he added.

A diplomatic source in Vienna, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that Eslami was denied entry to Austria because of pressure from the United States.

The development comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Western powers over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, citing concerns that the country’s nuclear programme posed a threat.

Western governments have for decades accused Iran of pursuing the development of nuclear weapons, allegations that Tehran has repeatedly rejected.