BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14 Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami was prevented from attending an annual meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna after the United States opposed his participation, Iranian state media reported.
Eslami and his delegation travelled to Vienna on Saturday on a regular flight but were reportedly unable to enter Austria. The Iranian government said the delegation was denied visas following what Tehran described as US pressure.
The IAEA meeting is being held at the agency’s headquarters in Vienna and is scheduled to continue until Friday. Following the decision, Iran summoned Austria’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called Austria’s decision to deny visas to the Iranian delegation “completely unjustified”. He said Tehran believed the move had taken place under US pressure, while stressing that this did not absolve the Austrian government of responsibility.
