VIENNA, Austria: Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami is not expected to attend the annual conference of the UN nuclear watchdog in Vienna, an official familiar with the matter said.

Eslami's absence from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference, which began on September 14, is another sign of worsening relations between Iran and Western countries. The United States and Iran have also resumed intermittent fighting after a fragile ceasefire broke down in July.

Austria had asked a UN sanctions committee for an exemption from Eslami's international travel ban so he could attend the conference. However, the request was not approved, the official said. The official spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the sensitive issue.

Austria, which hosts the United Nations in Vienna, can request exemptions from travel bans to allow sanctioned officials to attend UN meetings and international conferences.

Relations between Iran and the IAEA have also deteriorated since Israel and the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities during a 12-day war in June 2025. Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors to visit nuclear sites damaged in the attacks, despite its legal obligation to cooperate with the agency under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

The IAEA has also been unable to confirm the condition and location of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium since the June bombing. The agency has said Iran has 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity. That level is technically close to the 90 percent enrichment generally considered weapons grade.

Last year, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany triggered the so-called snapback mechanism, which restored UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. The three countries said Iran had deliberately moved away from the 2015 nuclear agreement, which had led to the lifting of sanctions.

The restored sanctions include a travel ban, an arms embargo, restrictions on ballistic missile development, asset freezes and limits on the production of nuclear-related technology.

Despite reports that Eslami would not be allowed to attend, Iran's state news agency IRNA said over the weekend that he had left Tehran for Vienna. It reported that he planned to attend the IAEA conference and meet representatives from several countries.

Eslami has regularly attended and spoken at the IAEA General Conference since becoming head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization in 2021.

Iran has strongly criticized his exclusion. Iranian ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, said the decision violated Iran's rights as a member of the agency.

Najafi told delegates that "by obstructing our full and effective participation, the denial of access contravenes both the letter and the spirit of the legal framework" governing participation in IAEA meetings.

He also criticized Austria, saying that its decision not to grant Eslami a visa violated its responsibilities as the host country of the IAEA and other UN organizations.