Iran's Absence from UN Nuclear Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi

Iran did not participate in the United Nations nuclear energy conference that began on Monday in Abu Dhabi, with some Iranian sources citing the lack of visa issuance for the Iranian delegation as the reason. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference titled 'Nuclear Energy in the 21st Century' is being held from October 30 to November 1 at the ministerial level, according to the website of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. The Associated Press, which first reported Iran's absence from the conference, noted that officials from Iran's Atomic Energy Organization did not respond to inquiries about their absence, and a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that they had 'no information' regarding this decision. However, Etemad Online, a news outlet, quoted a source within the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran stating that the reason for Iran's non-participation was 'the failure of the United Arab Emirates government to issue visas for Iranian officials.' Meanwhile, published images show that the conference organizers had designated a specific area for the Iranian delegation, a table reportedly 'next to the Israeli table.' Additionally, Yukiya Amano, who recently met with Iranian officials in Tehran, declined to comment on Iran's absence during a press conference at the conference, stating, 'The doors of this conference are open to all countries, and we welcome the participation of all countries. However, participation in these sessions is a matter for each country to decide. I will not comment on Iran's participation; that decision is up to Iran.' Amano also emphasized that Iran has adhered to its commitments under the nuclear agreement but refrained from commenting on potential future actions by the Trump administration, saying, 'We do not speculate. Therefore, I have nothing to say about the future actions of the President of the United States.' Furthermore, Amano avoided mentioning the nuclear agreement in his speech at the Abu Dhabi conference. The lack of confirmation of Iran's compliance with the terms of the nuclear agreement by Donald Trump has sparked a new verbal conflict between Iran and the United States. The European Union, the UK, Germany, and France have urged the U.S. to maintain the agreement, but Trump has threatened that if he cannot amend the flaws in the nuclear agreement with the support of Congress and U.S. allies, his administration will withdraw from it. Some Arab Gulf states claim that the funds flowing into Iran after the lifting of international sanctions have enhanced Tehran's ability to support Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and Shiite militias in Iraq. The Israeli government, sharing this suspicion, has sent a delegation to the nuclear energy conference in Abu Dhabi. The UAE, like many Arab countries, does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel and opposes the occupation of territories where Palestinians seek to establish their state. As noted by the Associated Press, conference organizers requested journalists not to film the Israeli delegation. Israeli officials attending the conference also declined to answer questions from the news agency. Additionally, the presence of the Israeli delegation created another puzzle at the conference, as the organizers placed their table next to the Iranian delegation's table.