The International Atomic Energy Agency called Iran's treatment of an IAEA inspector "unacceptable."

Reuters reported on Tuesday, September 13, that the International Atomic Energy Agency called Iran's treatment of female inspectors "inappropriate," and the United States called such treatment "harassment" and "absolutely unacceptable."

The report says that informed diplomats at the International Atomic Energy Agency said that in the first case, which occurred in June of this year at the Natanz facility, one of the agency's female inspectors was subjected to unnecessary and inappropriate body searches and inspections.

The details of the case and the number of similar incidents that have occurred since then are unclear, Reuters reported. The agency, which keeps the identities and genders of the investigators confidential, declined to provide many details.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement it issued in response to the Wall Street Journal report on these episodes: “In recent months, some incidents related to security inspections by Agency inspectors have occurred at one of the Iranian facilities.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency said: "The agency should immediately and firmly raise this issue with Iran and state clearly and unequivocally that such security incidents involving Agency personnel are unacceptable and must not be repeated."

According to the report, the agency says that Iran has provided explanations about the intensified security measures after these incidents, and that no other cases have been reported following this conversation between Iran and the agency.

The United States, at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors this week, presented a text to other countries present at the meeting, reporting the continued “undue harassment” of agency inspectors by “Iranian security officials at nuclear facilities,” calling it “absolutely unacceptable,” according to Reuters. Reuters says it has seen a copy of the text.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, also wrote on Twitter, referring to the tightening of security measures at Iran's nuclear facilities, that the agency's inspectors "have gradually presented new rules and regulations."

Source: Voice of America