VIENNA — Iran on Monday condemned the exclusion of the head of its Atomic Energy Organization from the annual gathering of the United Nations nuclear agency in Vienna saying that it constitutes “a serious breach” of Tehran’s rights as a member nation.
“By obstructing our full and effective participation, the denial of access contravenes both the letter and the spirit of the legal framework” governing attendance at meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran’s ambassador to the agency, Reza Najafi, told delegates at its general conference.
Najafi criticized Austria, the host country of the IAEA and other UN organizations, saying that Vienna’s decision not to grant a visa to Muhammad Eslami “violates the host country’s obligation.”
The Russian ambassador to the UN in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, echoed Iran’s remarks, saying that Austria has “grossly violated” its obligations as host nation of the IAEA.
Western nations have “unleashed a genuine campaign of visa-related abuses so as to settle scores with countries they deem to be undesirable,” he said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday likewise condemned Austria’s refusal to issue a visa to Eslami.
Baghaei said Tehran protested the decision and summoned the Austrian chargé d’affaires, saying Austria is obligated as the host country to issue the visas.
Austria responded by saying a UN Security Council committee had rejected Austria’s request to exempt Eslami from the travel ban.
“As a consequence, Austria was obliged to deny one member of the Iranian delegation the entry into its territory,” said Christian Ebner, Austria’s ambassador to the IAEA.
As the host of international organizations, Austria can request exemptions from travel bans to enable sanctioned officials to attend
 international conferences at the UN in Vienna.
The decision whether to grant the waiver rests with the UN Security Council’s sanctions committee.
The committee is responsible for overseeing criminal measures reimposed last year after France, Britain and Germany triggered the so-called snapback mechanism that unlawfully reinstated all United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. The reinstated sanctions include a travel ban, a conventional arms embargo, restrictions on ballistic missile development, asset freezes and a ban on producing nuclear-related technology.
Iran, Russia and China reject the legality of the sanctions reimposed under the snapback mechanism.
The U.S. ambassador to the UN in Vienna, Preston Wells Griffith, said Austria’s exemption request was denied after Washington lodged an objection with the committee.
Since Israel and the U.S. struck Iran’s nuclear sites during the 12-day terrorist war in June 2025, Iran hasn’t given IAEA inspectors access to the affected sites. 
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi called on the IAEA and its member states to stand against U.S. pressure and bullying.
“Preventing (the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran) from attending the General Conference creates a precedent that will affect everyone. For this reason, we must stand against such bullying and political pressure,” Kamalvandi told reporters on the sidelines of the IAEA’s 70th General Conference.
He said the latest move by the U.S. government is “nothing other than childish behavior.”
Kamalvandi, also a deputy head of the AEOI, said the IAEA and other countries have a duty to pressure the United States to comply with established rules, particularly the agency’s rules of procedure, and to reject pressure imposed on countries and the international organization.
Austria, he said, has acted contrary to its obligations as the host of international organizations and, under U.S. pressure, revoked Eslami’s visa, preventing him from attending the IAEA General Conference.