Iran’s nuclear chief was blocked from attending an annual conference at the headquarters of the UN’s nuclear agency in Vienna due to opposition from the United States, Iranian state television says.
“Mohammad Eslami and his delegation took a regular flight to Vienna on Saturday, but were blocked on the way because of obstructions by the United States,” the state broadcaster reports, saying he had returned to the capital Tehran.
He was due to attend the annual general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, which runs until Friday in Austria.
He attended last year’s conference and delivered a speech there on behalf of Iran, a member state of the IAEA.
Austria sought a waiver of the travel ban on Eslami with the UN sanctions committee, but it was not granted, an official said yesterday. The official wasn’t authorized to comment on the sensitive matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Is our live election coverage important to you?
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the 2026 Israeli election? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
- Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock to report political developments as they unfold;
- Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and podcasts; and
- Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including our DocuNation streaming film series and weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
Join The Times of Israel Community
JOIN NOW
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Monday, September 14, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
