Key facts
- Austria stated that a lack of consensus at the UN Security Council led to the denial of entry for Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, to attend an IAEA meeting in Vienna.
- The US blocked Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, from attending an IAEA meeting due to sanctions.
- Austria had requested an exemption to a UN travel ban for Eslami but was denied.
- Iran protested the US action as a violation of diplomatic norms.
Austria stated on Monday that the exclusion of Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, from attending an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting in Vienna was due to a lack of consensus at the UN Security Council. The US had previously blocked Eslami, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, from attending the conference, citing sanctions. Austria's foreign ministry confirmed it had applied for an exemption to a UN travel ban for Eslami but was informed by the UN Security Council president that the request was rejected. The ministry added that entry could not be permitted due to Austria's international obligations, emphasizing its desire to facilitate negotiations in Vienna based on international law. Iranian state television had reported that Eslami and his delegation were blocked from traveling to Vienna, with Tehran describing the US action as a violation of diplomatic norms.