The U.S. Accuses Iran of Violating Chemical Weapons Treaty

The U.S. representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons accused Iran of failing to report its "chemical weapons capabilities" to the organization, which he described as a "violation" of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Previously, some media outlets had reported, citing "two American officials," that the Trump administration intended to accuse Tehran of violating the chemical weapons treaty. According to Reuters, Kenneth Ward, the U.S. representative at the OPCW meeting in The Hague, accused Iran of having plans for "chemical weapons." He claimed that the Islamic Republic had not reported its chemical gas production facilities to the OPCW. The U.S. representative also stated that Washington has long been concerned about this issue and added that Iran is pursuing a "program to produce nerve gas for offensive purposes." He also mentioned that Iran transferred "chemical weapons" to Libya in the 1980s, but even after Libya reported this to the OPCW in 2011, Tehran did not acknowledge it. Ward further referred to the discovery of missiles carrying chemical materials, mortars, and bombs with "Iranian origin" as "evidence" indicating that Tehran has not fully disclosed its capabilities in this area. According to the report, Reuters was unable to reach Iranian officials for comment on this matter. Under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, the production, storage, and use of any chemical weapons are prohibited. The Associated Press had previously reported that the U.S. accusation would not currently lead to penalties for Iran, but could be used "to file a complaint against Iran at the OPCW." According to U.S. "findings" regarding Tehran's violation of the chemical convention, Iran has not used chemical weapons but "has the facilities and means to produce them." These "findings" are said to be based on recently obtained information. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, officially withdrew from the nuclear agreement with Iran, the JCPOA, in May of this year and reinstated two rounds of sanctions against Iran over two three-month periods. He and other cabinet members have repeatedly stated that Washington aims to force the Islamic Republic to "change its behavior" through "maximum pressure" sanctions. The Associated Press noted that the new U.S. accusation against the Islamic Republic is part of this "maximum pressure" policy to "isolate Iran."