TEHRAN: Iran summoned Austria’s chargé d’affaires on Monday to protest Vienna’s refusal to allow the country’s top nuclear official to enter Austria and attend the International Atomic Energy Agency’s General Conference.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei described Austria’s decision to deny entry to Mohammad Eslami, Iran’s vice president for nuclear affairs and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, as “completely unjustified.”
Baqaei said Austria, as host country, should have issued visas to the Iranian delegation and accused authorities of attempting to prevent Tehran’s position from reaching an international audience.
Tehran Says US Pressure Does Not Excuse Austria
Bloomberg reported, citing an anonymous US official, that Austria blocked Eslami’s entry following pressure from the Trump administration.
According to the report, a UN-requested sanctions exemption would have allowed Eslami to enter Austria. However, Austrian authorities reportedly rejected the arrangement after Washington intervened.
Baqaei said any US pressure would not absolve Austria of its responsibilities as host of the IAEA gathering.
“If Austria says it took this action under pressure from the United States, that does not relieve the host government of its responsibility,” he said.
Eslami Had Been Scheduled to Address IAEA Meeting
Eslami had been scheduled to address the UN nuclear watchdog’s annual General Conference in Vienna on Monday.
Moreover, Iranian media had previously reported that Eslami had departed Tehran to participate in the IAEA’s 70th General Conference.
Bloomberg said an Austrian government spokesperson referred questions concerning the decision to the country’s Foreign Ministry.
However, Austria’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
Consequently, the dispute has added another diplomatic confrontation between Tehran and Western governments amid continuing tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme and international monitoring of its activities.
