Iran Nuclear Chief Absent from IAEA Conference Amid Travel Ban

Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, is unlikely to attend the IAEA conference in Vienna due to a travel ban. The exclusion is a sign of deteriorating relations between Iran and the West, which have resumed fighting after a ceasefire collapse in July. Austria sought a waiver for Eslami, but it was not granted by the UN sanctions committee. Iran has not given IAEA inspectors access to nuclear sites affected by US-Israeli strikes in June 2022, and the watchdog cannot verify the status of a uranium stockpile. Iran maintains a stockpile of 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, a short step away from weapons-grade levels.