Iranian official blocked participation in UN nuclear meeting at US insistence | Today’s news
(Bloomberg) — After pressure from the Trump administration, Iran’s top official has been blocked from speaking at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s general conference in Vienna.
Iran’s vice president for nuclear affairs, Mohammad Eslami, was scheduled to appear before U.N. nuclear watchdogs on Monday before Austria denied him entry, according to a U.S. official. Mehr News Agency reported on Saturday that Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, had left Tehran to attend the conference.
A spokeswoman for the Austrian government reached out to the foreign ministry, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours in Vienna.
A waiver of sanctions for Eslami that would have allowed him to enter Austria was rejected by the US, said the official, who asked not to be named to speak openly about the sensitive matter. While a junior Iranian representative may address the gathering later this week, the move means Tehran’s top emissary will not be able to speak at the start of the conference.
His attendance and early appearance could have been seen as lending credibility to Iran, seven months into a US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic that President Donald Trump says is necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Instead, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright is set to use the forum to warn Tehran, insisting the US is unequivocal in its position that “Iran must never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon”.
“Iran must fully cooperate with the IAEA, meet its safeguards obligations and provide the agency with the access necessary to do its work,” Wright is prepared to say, according to an administration official who declined to be identified in advance to discuss excerpts of the speech.
Wright’s planned speech follows an IAEA warning that the agency had observed construction activity at Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified site suspected of nuclear-related activity. Last Wednesday, Trump cited the presence of “a little Pickaxe activity” and warned Iran “not to be cute because we’re going to have to hit them very hard.”
Wright is also prepared to emphasize the IAEA’s “founding mission” which is not just about nuclear security, but also about verifying nuclear safeguards and “providing peaceful nuclear technology to member states.”
“We are asking the agency to prioritize operational efficiency, eliminate redundant programs and ensure that all funding provided by member states is used to uphold the fundamental promise underlying the nuclear non-proliferation regime,” Wright said. “A disciplined IAEA – still focused on its core technical mandate – will benefit all member states.
The call coincides with the Trump administration’s push to accelerate nuclear power to help meet growing electricity demand. In July, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia finalized a long-sought agreement to share nuclear technology that could allow American companies to build reactors in the kingdom.
Wright is expected to describe the US as committed to working with the IAEA and member countries to promote peaceful nuclear technology.
“As America leads a new era of nuclear power at home and around the world, we are proving that rapid growth and uncompromising standards go hand in hand,” Wright plans to say, according to the official. “American nuclear leadership means American technology supported by the world’s highest standards of safety, security and non-proliferation – protecting our national interests while strengthening the competitiveness of our companies and earning the trust of our partners.”
–With help from Jonathan Tiron.
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