The newspaper quoted diplomats at the Vienna headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as saying the intimidation was ramped up in mid-August when IAEA inspectors became the targets of protests in Tehran.
Then they said the inspectors were warned they could be held responsible for any future sabotage at Iran’s nuclear sites.
The previously known aspects of the suspected intimidation campaign have included public suggestions that IAEA inspectors knew in advance about attacks on electricity lines going to the Natanz and Fordo enrichment centers. Iran said in August that the IAEA called an unannounced inspection for the day after those attacks and said that was proof the IAEA knew of the attacks in advance.
The Post said IAEA officials initially called the charge absurd, but they have since been investigating the allegation and are unable to find any evidence that there was any such attack as claimed by Iran, making it look like Iran invented the story as a way to confront the IAEA and its inspectors.
Some analysts thought Iran was trying to frighten the inspectors into modifying their quarterly reports that are highly critical of Iran.
Others thought the intimidation might just be an angry reaction sparked by frustration that Iran’s standing with the IAEA is worsening.
The Post quoted Mark Fitz-patrick, an arms control specialist at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), as saying Iran may be trying to build up an argument for restricting access in the future if more sanctions are imposed.
Or, he said, “They may feel they have to come up with an excuse” for refusing to allow the IAEA to inspect a site on the Parchin military base where the IAEA suspects Iran has conducted nuclear bomb trigger tests.