The annual International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna is taking place without Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami, who was scheduled to address the meeting.
Eslami was unable to attend after Austria reportedly revoked his visa, despite initially granting it.
At the opening of the conference, Iran criticised the decision, with its ambassador to the IAEA saying:
“The cancellation and so-called legal justification advanced for it are a stark indication of a political act and advanced formal politicisation of this organisation,”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused the United States of pressuring Austria to revoke Eslami’s visa.
Iran and Russia have also criticised what they describe as broader efforts to prevent Iranian officials from obtaining visas and travelling to international meetings.