US blocks Iranian nuclear chief from UN watchdog meeting

Tehran says Washington violated international law by preventing Mohammad Eslami from attending the IAEA event in Vienna

The US has violated international law by pressuring Austria to prevent Iran’s nuclear chief from attending a UN nuclear watchdog event in Vienna, Iran has said.

Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), was blocked from participating in an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting this week after the US refused to grant him a sanctions waiver, Iranian media reported.

“Such acts violate the host country’s obligations under the Headquarters Agreement between the IAEA and Austria. That agreement obliged the host government to take all necessary measures to facilitate the entry of representatives of Member States into Austrian territory,” Iran’s mission in Vienna said in a statement on X on Monday.

Denying the Head of Delegation of a Member State access to the highest policy-making organ of the #IAEA adversely affects the normal functioning and legitimacy of its proceedings. Such acts violate the host country’s obligations under the Headquarters Agreement between the IAEA… pic.twitter.com/Tq66M8hCPw

— Iran Mission UN Vienna (@PMIRAN_Vienna) September 14, 2026

Reza Najafi, Iran’s envoy to international organizations in Vienna, argued that the move was “a serious violation” of the country’s rights as an IAEA member. The agency is tasked with monitoring nuclear activities and compliance with nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the restrictions placed on Eslami.

“He’s a sanctioned individual and we don’t want sanctioned individuals evading their sanctions. He asked for a waiver of the sanctions and it was denied,” Wright told reporters in Vienna, according to AFP.

The incident occurred as talks between the US and Iran remain stalled, with the Strait of Hormuz, an important maritime chokepoint, blocked to normal shipping. A 60-day deadline for reviving negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program expired last month.

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