Salehi in Vienna for IAEA Confab

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi left Tehran for Vienna, Austria, on Sunday to attend the 61st General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Salehi is scheduled to address the meeting that opens on Monday, IRNA reported. The visit comes against a backdrop of heavy lobbying by the administration of US President Donald Trump against the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Since assuming office, Trump has tried to ditch JCPOA and imposed more sanctions against Iran over its ballistic missile program and other pretexts. He has also talked of declaring Iran non-compliant in October, the next quarterly deadline set by the US Congress to be notified by the State Department regarding Iran's compliance with the deal. This is while the UN nuclear agency, which is the main authority mandated to monitor Iran's nuclear program, has repeatedly certified Iran's compliance. IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said last week that Iran had not broken any promises and was not receiving special treatment. On the sidelines of the conference, Salehi will hold separate meetings with IAEA officials and some counterparts from member countries.