Iran's Olympic chief claims no punishment coming for climber Elnaz Rekabi

The president of Iran's national Olympic committee claimed Thursday that competitive climber Elnaz Rekabi will not be punished or suspended after competing in South Korea over the weekend without wearing her nation's mandatory headscarf.

Speaking to The Associated Press in the South Korean capital of Seoul, Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa said there was no reason to take disciplinary measures against Rekabi because not wearing a headscarf, or hijab, was an "unintentional" act on her part.

An Instagram account associated with Rekabi also described the decision as "unintentional," and she did as well after reaching Tehran early Wednesday. She blamed being rushed to compete, though a video of her climb Sunday showed her relaxed and waving to the crowd.

"It's a small issue. I'm surprised that it is being talked about so much," Khosravi Vafa said, despite protests over the mandatory hijab reaching over 100 cities in Iran so far. "In our view it was not a big issue."

WATCH | Rekabi returns home:

Khosravi Vafa said he discussed Rekabi with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly in Seoul. Khosravi Vafa said he spoke to Rekabi as well.

"I talked to her and told her that you definitely are very talented in sports and you should continue down this path to maybe qualify for the Paris Olympics and you'll be fully supported by the Iranian Olympic committee," he added in remarks made in Farsi.

The International Olympic Committee described Rekabi on Wednesday as having "returned to Iran safely and with her family."

Khosravi Vafa, however, described Rekabi as being "a guest at Iran's Olympic committee hotel for one day, along with her