Iran nuclear chief barred from IAEA meeting, Tehran blames US

“He asked for a waiver of the sanctions and it was denied.”
nIranian state TV said Eslami and a delegation “took a regular flight to Vienna on Saturday, but were blocked on the way because of obstructions by the United States”.
nBehrouz Kamalvandi, a senior official from Iran’s nuclear agency, accused the US of “bullying political pressure” and said the block set a precedent that would affect everybody.
nThe Austrian foreign ministry told AFP it had requested an exemption for Mohammad Eslami, who is covered by a UN travel ban, but that the Security Council rejected it “due to a lack of consensus”.
nA diplomatic source in Vienna had told AFP earlier that US pressure was behind the entry refusal.
nEslami was due to attend the annual general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, which runs until Friday.
nEslami attended last year’s event and delivered a speech there on behalf of Iran, a member state of the IAEA, despite the sanctions against him already being in place.
nTehran summoned Austria’s charge d’affaires in response to the decision to bar Eslami.
n“The Austrian government’s refusal to issue visas to the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a completely unjustified decision,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at a press conference in Tehran attended by AFP.
n“It is clear to us that this incident occurred under American pressure, but that does not absolve the Austrian government of responsibility.”
nThe United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28.
nFor decades, Western powers have accused the Islamic republic of seeking nuclear weapons, a claim that Tehran categorically denies.
nAFP
n nRelated Stories
Breaking NewsJAMB NO LONGER MANDATORY FOR ADMISSION – FG EMPOWERS INSTITUTIONS TO ADMIT STUDENTS USING SSCE RESULTS
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, has announced a new policy granting Nigerian tertiary institutions greater autonomy in thei
Breaking NewsHow We Kidnapped Bayelsa Judge - Suspects
Suspects in the abduction of Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro have narrated how they committed the crime. rnrnEight of the suspects, which included six males
Breaking NewsDr. Dennis Otuaro Volunteer Media Team Berates SaharaReporters Over Unfounded Allegations Against PAP Administrator
The attention of the Dr. Dennis Otuaro Volunteer Media Team has been drawn to a recent misleading and malicious publication by SaharaReporters, accusi
