Iran's nuclear facilities guards have molested female inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) several times over the past few months, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing diplomats on the 14th (local time).
According to reports, male guards at Iran's Natanj nuclear facility had inappropriately touched the bodies of female inspectors and asked them to remove their clothes from early June to several weeks ago.
One diplomat said that there had been at least four such cases of sexual harassment, while another diplomat said that there were five to seven times.
Although there were instances of sexual harassment against female nuclear inspectors in Iran in 2013 and 2019, diplomatic officials explained that recent incidents are much more serious.
A diplomat familiar with Iran's nuclear issue told the WSJ that "we know that he touched several parts of the body, including sensitive parts."
A victim of the most recent incident is said to have reported that it was "too humiliating".
In a document addressed to the IAEA member states in relation to the incident, the United States strongly urged the board of directors to make a clear statement that "harassment against IAEA inspectors is absolutely unacceptable" and that such deplorable behavior must be stopped immediately. .
Some diplomats are concerned that publicly exposing sexual harassment cases will worsen the already precarious relations between Iran and the IAEA, the WSJ reported.
The incident occurred after the inauguration of hard-line President Ebrahim Raish in Iran after talks to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal stopped at the end of June.
In particular, Iran has strengthened its security following a series of recent attacks on the Natanz nuclear facility.