Austria on Monday barred Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, from entering its territory to attend a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors in Vienna because he is subject to international sanctions and a travel ban. Eslami had been scheduled to address the meeting that day.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Austria had sought an exemption from the travel ban through the UN sanctions committee, but the request was not granted. The official added that the United States had urged the rejection of a UN request to exempt Eslami from the sanctions, which would have allowed him to enter Austria and attend the meeting.
Austria has authority to request travel exemptions
Austria, as the host country of the UN headquarters in Vienna, can request travel exemptions to enable officials subject to sanctions to attend international conferences affiliated with the organization. The decision comes amid deteriorating relations between Iran and Western countries, and after sporadic fighting resumed between the United States and Iran following the collapse of a ceasefire in July.
