IAEA Calls Iran’s Treatment of Agency’s Inspectors ‘Unacceptable’

The International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday termed “unacceptable” several cases involving its inspectors in Iran, in which diplomats say security staff subjected female inspectors to improper searches that the United States has labeled sexual harassment. Iranian guards sexually harrassed inspectors at the Natanz nuclear facility multiple times in recent months, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on Tuesday. “The agency immediately and firmly raised this issue with Iran to explain in very clear and unequivocal terms that such security-related incidents involving agency staff are unacceptable and must not happen again,” an IAEA spokesperson said. “Iran has provided explanations related to reinforced security procedures following events at one of their facilities. As a result of this exchange between the agency and Iran, there have been no further incidents.”