Russia condemns Austria for blocking Iran’s nuclear chief from IAEA meeting

Russia’s Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna has condemned the “outrageous” blocking of the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) from the International Atomic Energy Agency’s General Conference.

“We cannot help but comment on the outrageous situation surrounding Austria’s refusal to issue an entry visa to the Vice President of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization, who was scheduled to arrive in Vienna to participate in the 70th session of the IAEA General Conference, which is now opening,” Mikhail Ulyanov said on Monday.

He noted that Austria’s baseless move to revoke Eslami’s visa after it had already granted him one violates the country’s “obligations under the Agreement with the IAEA on the Establishment of the Agency’s Headquarters in Vienna.”

Eslami and his accompanying delegation departed for Vienna on Saturday. However, he returned to Tehran on the same day after Austria cancelled his visa under US pressure.

Washington blocked Eslami from attending this week’s International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference, an annual meeting of IAEA member ​states that began on Monday, by opposing an exemption from so-called “snapback” UN sanctions.

Ulyanov noted that Austria’s move “occurred against the backdrop of comments by certain members of the UN Security Council, circulated ‘under the guise’ of the illegitimate Committee 1737 and effectively endorsed by the current Security Council presidency. Austria, in turn, used these comments as a pretext to deny M. Eslami entry into the country.”

He stressed that there were “no Security Council sanctions against Iran, nor a Sanctions Committee 1737.”

“The claims by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany regarding the alleged invocation of the “snapback” mechanism are procedurally and legally null and void. The provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 ceased to be in effect on October 18, 2025,” the Russian ambassador added.

He slammed the countries of the “collective West” for launching “a full-scale campaign of visa arbitrariness to settle scores with countries they find objectionable.”

Ulyanov pointed out that Eslami’s blocking came while the IAEA conference serves as “an important platform for building bridges between Tehran and the Agency.”

“Such confrontational steps clearly only exacerbate the already difficult situation in Tehran’s interactions with the IAEA, which has arisen as a result of US-Israeli aggression against Iran’s nuclear facilities, which are under the Agency’s safeguards.”

He called for an end to this “arbitrary” visa policy.

“Using the visa issue as a tool for exerting pressure and coercion is a senseless and irresponsible policy. We call on sensible members of the international community to reflect on its real consequences,” the envoy stated.