US Pressure Blocks Iranian Nuclear Chief From Vienna Conference
· World · LiveMint, Al Jazeera
Mohammad Eslami, Iran’s vice president for nuclear affairs and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was blocked from addressing the International Atomic Energy Agency’s general conference in Vienna. The Austrian government denied Eslami entry after the US urged the denial of a required sanctions waiver. While a lower-level Iranian representative may attend later this week, the move prevents a top-tier emissary from speaking at the conference's opening. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright is scheduled to use the forum to reiterate that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon and must cooperate fully with IAEA safeguards. The action follows recent IAEA reports of construction activity at Iran's fortified Pickaxe Mountain site.
Why it matters
The move signals a hardening of US diplomatic and security pressure on Iran's nuclear program, effectively isolating Tehran's top nuclear official from critical international forums.
Read the original report — LiveMint
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