Vienna, 14 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Iran has protested after the United States opposed an exemption that would have allowed Iranian nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami to attend this week’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna despite the reimposition of United Nations sanctions. Eslami was scheduled to attend and address the annual meeting of IAEA member states, but Iran said Austria revoked his visa after initially granting it. Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA described the decision as a political act and evidence of the politicisation of the organisation, while Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused the United States of pressuring Austria to take the step. Iran and Russia also said the move was part of broader efforts to prevent Iranian officials from obtaining visas for international travel. The United States said it had objected to the exemption because Eslami was subject to travel restrictions under the UN Security Council’s “snapback” sanctions mechanism. Austria confirmed that it had requested an exemption for Eslami from the relevant UN sanctions committee, but the request was rejected following the US objection. US Ambassador Preston Wells Griffith III said Washington opposed the exemption because Eslami’s participation could have allowed Iran to use IAEA proceedings for propaganda while avoiding substantive cooperation, particularly amid an ongoing dispute over nuclear inspections.