46 mins ago
Iranian Official Barred From IAEA Meeting After US Pressure
Iranian official Mohammad Eslami was supposed to speak at a major nuclear meeting in Austria.
Austria did not let him enter the country.
A US official said the decision came after pressure from the Trump administration.
Eslami leads Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization and is also its vice president for nuclear affairs.
Another Iranian representative may still speak later in the week.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright plans to tell the meeting that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon.
He will also ask Iran to cooperate with international inspectors.
The nuclear agency has noticed construction at a guarded Iranian site called Pickaxe Mountain.
The United States also says nuclear technology should be used peacefully and safely.
Austria denied Iranian nuclear official Mohammad Eslami entry to attend an IAEA conference in Vienna.
The denial followed US pressure against granting Eslami a sanctions waiver, according to a US official.
Eslami had been scheduled to address the conference at its opening, though a lower-level Iranian representative may speak later.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright is expected to demand Iran cooperate fully with the IAEA and rule out nuclear weapons.
The IAEA has reported construction activity at Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain site, which is suspected of nuclear-related activity.
- Who
- Mohammad Eslami, Iran’s vice president for nuclear affairs and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was denied entry; the US and Austria were involved in the decision.
- What
- Austria blocked Eslami from addressing the International Atomic Energy Agency’s general conference after the United States urged denial of a sanctions waiver.
- Where
- The conference is being held in Vienna, Austria.
- When
- The decision occurred before the conference’s scheduled opening on Monday; the article reports the events seven months into a US and Israeli war involving Iran.
- Why
- According to a US official, Washington urged the denial because Eslami’s attendance could have lent credibility to Iran; the US says Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon and must cooperate with the IAEA.
US Administration Position
Iranian Representation
Conference access
US Administration Position
The Trump administration urged Austria to deny Eslami a sanctions waiver, preventing a senior Iranian official from speaking at the conference’s start.
Iranian Representation
Eslami had left Tehran to attend the conference and had been scheduled to address it; a lower-level Iranian representative may speak later.
Nuclear safeguards
US Administration Position
The United States says Iran must never develop or obtain a nuclear weapon, fully cooperate with the IAEA, meet safeguards obligations, and provide access for inspections.
Iranian Representation
The article does not state a response from Iran to the US demands or to the denial of Eslami’s entry.
Key facts
- Blocked official
- Mohammad Eslami, Iran’s vice president for nuclear affairs and head of its Atomic Energy Organization
- Conference
- International Atomic Energy Agency general conference
- Location
- Vienna, Austria
- Reported reason for denial
- The United States urged Austria not to grant Eslami a sanctions waiver allowing entry
- US speaker
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright
- Iranian site mentioned
- Pickaxe Mountain, where the IAEA observed construction activity
- Possible Iranian participation
- A lower-level Iranian representative may address the conference later in the week
Quotes
Chris Wright
US Energy Secretary
“Iran must fully cooperate with the IAEA, meet its safeguards obligations, and provide the access necessary for the agency to do its job.”
livemint.com
“A disciplined IAEA — remaining focused on its core technical mandate — will prove beneficial to all member states.”
livemint.com
Sources
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