Iran’s foreign minister says the country is the biggest victim of chemical weapons in contemporary history, and a staunch advocate for a world free of weapons of mass destruction. Abbas Araghchi said Iran, which pioneered the idea of a nuclear weapons-free Middle East, has consistently been at the forefront of efforts to combat such weapons.
Araghchi’s remarks came as Iran marks the National Day of Combat against Chemical and Biological Weapons. The occasion commemorates the 38th anniversary of the chemical attack on the northwestern Iranian city of Sardasht by former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein. He said credible evidence shows certain Western governments, particularly the US, the UK, and Germany, assisted Saddam in carrying out the attack by providing him with chemical materials, technology, and equipment. Araghchi stressed that the same Western states are now backing Israel’s aggression against Iran, which has claimed the lives of many civilians and scientists, as well as civil and military officials. He also slammed Western states for remaining silent on Israel’s attacks on Iran’s industries, which can lead to a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe in the region.