VIENNA: The UN nuclear watchdog on Wednesday slammed as “unacceptable” incidents involving its inspectors in Iran following a news report that Iranian guards had harassed female agency staff.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that guards at Iran’s main nuclear facility, Natanz, physically harassed female International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors in several incidents since early June.
The incidents allegedly included inappropriate touching and orders to remove clothing, the report said, citing diplomats.
Asked to comment on the report, the IAEA noted in a statement “some incidents related to security checks of agency inspectors at one Iranian facility” in recent months.
“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,” it said.
The statement said there had been no further incidents after the IAEA and Iran exchanged messages on this matter.
“Security measures at the nuclear facilities in Iran are, reasonably, tightened” Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Kazem Gharibabadi, wrote on Twitter late Tuesday.
“The IAEA inspectors have gradually come up with the new rules and regulations.”
The Natanz nuclear facility was hit by an explosion in April, which Tehran has branded an act of “sabotage.”
Separately, Tehran has restricted IAEA access since earlier this year, along with other steps to ramp up its nuclear activities since 2019 despite an accord with world powers, curbing Iran’s program in exchange for sanctions relief.
But the 2015 landmark agreement started to unravel when the US withdrew from it in 2018 and reimposed sanctions.
Talks to revive the deal with US participation are currently stalled.
IAEA slams reported harassment of female inspectors in Iran
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IAEA slams reported harassment of female inspectors in Iran
Syrian government and SDF agree to de-escalate after Aleppo violence
- Turkiye views the US-backed SDF, which controls swathes of northeastern Syria, as a terrorist organization and has warned of military action if the group does not honor the agreement
DAMASCUS: Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces agreed to de-escalate on Monday evening in the northern city of Aleppo, after a wave of attacks that both sides blamed on each other left at least two civilians dead and several wounded.
Syria’s state news agency SANA, citing the defense ministry, said the army’s general command issued an order to stop targeting the SDF’s fire sources. The SDF said in a statement later that it had issued instructions to stop responding to attacks by Syrian government forces following de-escalation contacts.
HIGHLIGHTS
• SDF and Syrian government forces blame each other for Aleppo violence
• Turkiye threatens military action if SDF fails integration deadline
• Aleppo schools and offices closed on Tuesday following the violence
The Syrian health ministry said two people were killed and several were wounded in shelling by the SDF on residential neighborhoods in the city. The injuries included two children and two civil defense workers. The violence erupted hours after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during a visit to Damascus that the SDF appeared to have no intention of honoring a commitment to integrate into the state’s armed forces by an agreed year-end deadline.
Turkiye views the US-backed SDF, which controls swathes of northeastern Syria, as a terrorist organization and has warned of military action if the group does not honor the agreement.
Integrating the SDF would mend Syria’s deepest remaining fracture, but failing to do so risks an armed clash that could derail the country’s emergence from 14 years of war and potentially draw in Turkiye, which has threatened an incursion against Kurdish fighters it views as terrorists.
Both sides have accused the other of stalling and acting in bad faith. The SDF is reluctant to give up autonomy it won as the main US ally during the war, which left it with control of Islamic State prisons and rich oil resources.
SANA, citing the defense ministry, reported earlier that the SDF had launched a sudden attack on security forces and the army in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods of Aleppo, resulting in injuries.
The SDF denied this and said the attack was carried out by factions affiliated with the Syrian government. It said those factions were using tanks and artillery against residential neighborhoods in the city.
The defense ministry denied the SDF’s statements, saying the army was responding to sources of fire from Kurdish forces. “We’re hearing the sounds of artillery and mortar shells, and there is a heavy army presence in most areas of Aleppo,” an eyewitness in Aleppo told Reuters earlier on Monday. Another eyewitness said the sound of strikes had been very strong and described the situation as “terrifying.”
Aleppo’s governor announced a temporary suspension of attendance in all public and private schools and universities on Tuesday, as well as government offices within the city center.
