Iran raised the issue of Israel’s refusal to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) on Monday, November 25, claiming that this lack of accountability poses a grave risk to global peace and stability.
Iran’s Deputy Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, addressed the 29th session of the Conference of the State Parties to the CWC, which began in The Hague on Monday. He also called for international action against Israel for using chemical weapons, which are banned by international conventions, in Palestine and in Lebanon.
The CWC prohibits the development, production, storage, and use of all types of chemical weapons. It came into force in 1997 and has been signed and ratified by 193 countries. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), based in The Hague, serves as the implementing body of the CWC.
Gharibabadi alleged that Israel has used chemical weapons and other hazardous substances, including white phosphorus and depleted uranium, against Palestinians in Gaza and against people in Lebanon during its ongoing genocidal war. He called on the OPCW to conduct an investigation and take necessary steps to protect civilians.
“This regime, with the unconditional support of some Western countries, especially the United States, continues its crimes and enjoys immunity,” Gharibabadi said.
Israel is one of only four countries in the world that are not party to the CWC. While it has signed the convention, it has refused to ratify it. Egypt, North Korea, and South Sudan have neither signed nor ratified the treaty.
There have been several instances where international investigations have established Israel’s use of chemical weapons against civilians in Gaza and Lebanon. During the ongoing war, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported Israel’s use of white phosphorus, a highly toxic substance, against civilians in Gaza. Although white phosphorus is not banned under the CWC, its use against civilians is considered illegal. Similarly, in September, the Syndicate of Chemists in Lebanon accused Israel of using depleted uranium during the bombings in Beirut. The use of depleted uranium is prohibited under international law.
Iran called for immediate UN sanctions on Israel for its continued violations of international humanitarian laws, as well as a complete economic, political, and military boycott of the Zionist regime.
The CWC should be universal
Iran emphasized the need for the universality of the CWC, claiming that Israel possesses a chemical weapons arsenal that threatens global peace and stability. It demanded the establishment of mechanisms to hold Israel accountable. Iran urged the international community to pressure Tel Aviv to join the CWC and place all its chemical weapons under the supervision of the OPCW.
Gharibabadi also rejected allegations made by the US and other Western countries regarding Iran’s alleged use of chemical weapons. He asserted that Tehran has fully complied with its obligations under the CWC and has placed all its chemical weapons under OPCW supervision.
The US has repeatedly accused Iran of developing chemical weapons. In July this year, the US imposed sanctions on an Iranian company, alleging that it was assisting the Iranian government in developing such substances.
In turn, Iran accused the US of violating the CWC on multiple occasions, including during its 2003 invasion of Iraq and by supplying weapons to Israel that are prohibited under OPCW regulations. The US has supplied billions of dollars worth of weapons to Israel since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza in October 2023, despite acknowledging that their use by Israel may have violated international humanitarian laws.
Gharibabadi claimed that the allegations against Iran are intended to divert global attention from the repeated use of chemical weapons by Israel or by groups supported by the US in the Middle East, such as armed factions fighting against state forces in Syria and Iraq, IRNA reported.
He also highlighted the US support for Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein during the war against Iran in the 1980s, despite being aware of Iraq’s use of chemical weapons against Iranian forces. Estimates suggest that over 7,000 Iranians were killed as a result of these attacks. Nearly 75,000 Iranians are still receiving treatment for injuries caused by chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war.
Gharibabadi called for accountability for all countries, including the US, that supported Iraq’s use of chemical weapons against Iran. He demanded that they be held responsible for their “illegal actions” and urged them to “take steps to compensate” Iranian victims.
Iran also highlighted how illegal US sanctions, imposed over time, have hindered the treatment of Iranian victims affected by chemical weapons attacks. It called on the OPCW to intervene and assist the victims.
