Iran summons Austrian diplomat over visa denial for nuclear chief

Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned the head of the Austrian diplomatic mission in Tehran and lodged a strong protest over Vienna's refusal to issue a visa to Mohammad Eslami, Iran's vice president and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, Report informs.

"They should have issued a visa to the Iranian delegation in accordance with all international laws. We immediately took action and summoned the Austrian chargé d'affaires to express our protest," Baghaei said during his weekly press conference.

Eslami had planned to travel to participate in the 70th session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Baghaei said that Austria's alleged refusal to issue the visa under pressure from Washington does not absolve Vienna of responsibility for its actions.

According to previous reports, Austrian authorities, at the request of the United States, had denied Eslami entry into the country, preventing him from attending the IAEA General Conference and addressing the meeting on Iran's nuclear program.