Iran's Nuclear Chief to Skip IAEA Conference Over Travel Ban
Iran's atomic energy chief is not expected at the IAEA General Conference in Vienna after a travel ban waiver was denied, amid stalled inspections and sanctions.
The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization is not expected to attend this year's General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, an official familiar with the matter has said, marking the first time in years that he will miss the annual gathering.
Mohammad Eslami's expected absence stems from a travel ban that prevents him from leaving Iran. Austria, as the host of United Nations offices in Vienna, had sought a waiver from the U.N. sanctions committee to allow him to attend, but the request was not granted, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The development reflects steadily worsening relations between Iran and Western powers. The United States and Iran have traded blows on and off since a fragile ceasefire collapsed in July.
Iran's state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday that Eslami had left Tehran for Vienna to participate in the conference and meet representatives of various countries. He has regularly attended and addressed the IAEA's General Conference since taking the helm of the atomic energy body in 2021.
Senior officials from IAEA member states are scheduled to meet from Monday to Friday at the agency's headquarters in Vienna. The agenda includes the agency's budget and policy matters such as nuclear safeguards in the Middle East.
Since Israel and the United States struck Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war in June 2025, Iran has not granted IAEA inspectors access to the affected facilities, despite its legal obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The agency has also been unable to verify the status of a stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium since the bombing. According to the IAEA, Iran holds 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity — a short technical step from the 90% level used in weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.
Last year, France, Britain and Germany triggered the so-called snapback mechanism, automatically reimposing all United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. The three countries said Iran had willfully departed from the 2015 nuclear deal that had lifted the measures. The reinstated sanctions include a travel ban, a conventional arms embargo, restrictions on ballistic missile development, asset freezes and a ban on producing nuclear-related technology.