US opposes Iran nuclear chief attending IAEA conference

The United States opposed the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation attending the annual conference of the UN nuclear watchdog, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Monday. Speaking to reporters in Vienna, where the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is based, Wright said Mohammad Eslami was subject to US sanctions and had been denied a request for a waiver. “He’s a sanctioned individual and we don’t want sanctioned individuals evading their sanctions. He asked for a waiver of the sanctions and it was denied,” Wright said. Eslami has regularly attended and addressed the IAEA General Conference since becoming head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation in 2021. Iranian state television said Eslami and a delegation travelled to Vienna on a regular flight Saturday but were “blocked on the way because of obstructions by the United States”.