Austria has blocked Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami from attending the IAEA General Conference in Vienna after a UN request for a travel exemption was rejected. The exemption was needed because Eslami is under UN sanctions that include a travel ban. The request, made by Austria on Eslami’s behalf, was rejected after the United States raised an objection at the UN sanctions committee. Iran criticised the decision and called it politically motivated. The development comes amid continued disagreements between Iran, the United States and the IAEA over Iran’s nuclear programme and international inspections.