Iran nuclear chief’s IAEA attendance in doubt amid reported travel ban
Mohammad Eslami is not expected to attend the IAEA General Conference in Vienna after Austria’s reported waiver request was not granted.
Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, is not expected to attend the International Atomic Energy Agency’s General Conference in Vienna, according to an official briefed on the matter.
The official, who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke anonymously, said Eslami is subject to an international travel ban. His absence has not been confirmed.
Austria reportedly sought a waiver through the UN sanctions committee to allow Eslami to attend the annual gathering of the UN nuclear watchdog’s member nations. The request was not granted, the official said.
As host of the UN in Vienna, Austria can request exemptions from travel bans for sanctioned officials attending international conferences.
The reported development comes amid deteriorating relations between Iran and Western countries, but the source did not identify the legal basis, duration or issuing authority of the travel ban.
