Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, was blocked from attending the annual conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, according to Iranian state television and reporting compiled by France 24. The broadcaster said Eslami and his delegation travelled to Vienna but returned to Tehran after being stopped from attending.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Washington opposed Eslami’s presence because he was under sanctions. Wright told reporters in Vienna that a request for a sanctions waiver had been denied, adding that the United States did not want sanctioned individuals evading restrictions.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei condemned Austria’s refusal to issue visas to the delegation. He described the decision as unjustified and said Tehran believed it had occurred under American pressure, while holding Austria responsible for the outcome.
The dispute unfolded amid a wider escalation around the Gulf and Red Sea. Yemen’s Houthi movement said it had launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles at military targets in Saudi Arabia, including installations at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. Saudi authorities issued alerts in several southern cities before later announcing an all-clear, according to France 24.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned what she called “relentless attacks” by Iranian-backed armed groups. Iran has long supported the Houthis but denied involvement in the renewed fighting, with Baghaei saying the movement acted independently.
An attack blamed by Saudi Arabia on Iranian-backed militias also forced the shutdown of the East-West oil pipeline. Regional officials said repairs would leave much of the 1,200-kilometre pipeline out of service for weeks. The pipeline can carry up to seven million barrels of oil a day, and the fighting has raised concerns about Saudi exports and international shipping.