Iran secures IAEA General Committee seat amid tensions with US

VIENNA: Iran has been elected as a member of the General Committee of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, in a development that comes amid continued tensions between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Iran’s mission in Vienna said member states voted in favour of the country’s inclusion on the committee, despite what Iranian officials described as US efforts to prevent the election. The Iranian mission said the outcome reflected the decision of IAEA member states through the voting process.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said the United States had made efforts in recent days to block Iran’s participation. According to Iranian officials, those efforts did not succeed and the matter went to a vote.

The development comes only days after another dispute involving Iran’s participation in the Vienna meeting. Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, was prevented from attending the IAEA General Conference after a request for a travel exemption under UN sanctions was rejected following a US objection. Reuters reported that Austria had sought the exemption on Eslami’s behalf, but the request was denied by the UN sanctions committee.

Tehran protested the decision, arguing that restricting Eslami’s attendance violated Iran’s rights as an IAEA member. Iranian officials said the country should be allowed to participate fully and effectively in the agency’s meetings.

The United States, meanwhile, has defended its position over Eslami’s attendance. Washington said his presence could be used for propaganda and could undermine efforts related to verifying Iran’s nuclear commitments, according to Reuters.

The IAEA General Committee plays an important procedural and administrative role during the General Conference. Its responsibilities include dealing with conference business and procedural matters.

Iran’s election therefore carries significance beyond the committee itself, as it comes at a particularly sensitive moment for relations between Tehran, Washington and the UN nuclear watchdog.

The latest development highlights the continuing diplomatic friction surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities, while also showing that Tehran retains participation in key institutional processes within the IAEA.

With the General Conference underway in Vienna, Iran’s committee membership is expected to keep the country closely involved in discussions over the agency’s proceedings and the wider nuclear diplomacy surrounding its programme.