Iran Nuclear Chief Not Expected at IAEA09/14 06:24

   

   VIENNA (AP) -- The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization is not expected 
to attend the annual gathering of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's member nations in 
Vienna for the first time in years because he is banned from international 
travel, an official briefed on the matter said.

   Mohammad Eslami's exclusion from the IAEA conference is another sign of 
rapidly deteriorating relations between Iran and the West. The United States 
and Iran have resumed fighting, on and off, after a fragile ceasefire collapsed 
in July.

   Austria sought a waiver of the travel ban on Eslami with the U.N. sanctions 
committee but it was not granted, the official said. The official wasn't 
authorized to comment on the sensitive matter and spoke on condition of 
anonymity.

   As host of the United Nations in Vienna, Austria can request exemptions from 
travel bans to enable sanctioned officials to attend international conferences 
at the U.N.

   Since Israel and the U.S. struck Iran's nuclear sites during the 12-day war 
in June 2025, Iran hasn't given IAEA inspectors access to nuclear sites that 
were affected by the strikes -- even though Tehran is legally obliged to 
cooperate with the watchdog under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

   The IAEA has also been unable to verify the status of a stockpile of near 
weapons-grade uranium since the June bombing. According to the IAEA, Iran 
maintains a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 
60% purity -- a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

   Iran says it's not pursuing nuclear weapons and its program is entirely 
peaceful.

   Last year France, Britain and Germany triggered the so-called snapback 
mechanism that automatically reimposed all United Nations sanctions on Iran 
over its nuclear program. The three European countries said that Iran willfully 
departed from the 2015 nuclear deal that lifted the measures.

   The U.N. sanctions that were reinstated include a travel ban, a conventional 
arms embargo, restrictions on ballistic missile development, asset freezes and 
a ban on producing nuclear-related technology.

   Despite the official saying Eslami was not expected to attend the 
conference, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported Saturday that Eslami left 
Tehran for Vienna to take part in the IAEA conference and to meet 
representatives from various countries. He has regularly attended and addressed 
the IAEA's General Conference in Vienna since being appointed head of Iran's 
Atomic Energy Organization in 2021.

   Senior officials from member states of the International Atomic Energy 
Agency are due to assemble Monday until Friday for the General Conference at 
the U.N. nuclear watchdog's headquarters in Vienna. They will consider and 
approve the agency's budget and discuss other policy issues, including nuclear 
safeguards in the Middle East.