Iran: Supporters of Terrorists Using Chemical Weapons Should Be Held Accountable
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s permanent representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) warned against the continued use of chemical weapons by terror groups in Syria and Iraq and said the international supporters of the terrorists are held accountable.
Addressing the 21st session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (CWC) in The Hague on Tuesday, Alireza Jahangiri voiced deep concerns over reports on the use of chemical weapons by terror groups such as Daesh (known as ISIL or ISIS) and al-Nusra Front in war-hit countries of Iraq and Syria.
“The state sponsors of these groups which provide them with access to chemical weapons against innocent people, must be held accountable for their acts,” he noted.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Jahangiri pointed to the number of victims of chemical weapons in Iran which amount to 100,000 and said the Islamic Republic attaches great significance to the Convention on Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and its complete implementation and will spare no efforts to globalize the agreement.
He further said the Iran’s commitment to such conventions and its cooperation with the OPCW is beyond a legal framework and has its roots in religious beliefs in the country.
The 21st session of the Conference of States Parties to the CWC kicked off on November 28 in The Hague and will last until December 2, 2016.
The OPCW is the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force in 1997. As of today, the organization has 192 member states, who are working together to achieve a world free of chemical weapons, according to its website.
