Foreign Minister Araghchi Affirms Iran's Support For A World Of Weapons-Free Mass Destruction

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (Wikimedia Commons/Mehr News Agency/Hamed Michelpour)

JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Abbas reiterated that Iran is a loyal supporter of the world free from weapons of mass destruction, with the experience of being victims of chemical weapons attacks.

This was conveyed by Foreign Minister Araghchi in a Sunday Night message during the commemoration of National Day Against Chemical Weapons and Biology.

"As the main initiator of the initiative for an area free from nuclear weapons, Iran has consistently stood on the forefront of the struggle against weapons of mass destruction," he said as reported by Mehr on June 30.

He continued, Iran has never stopped pursuing justice for victims of chemical war and firmly believes that the application of justice is a necessary "prerequisite" to prevent a repeat of atrocities such as chemical bombardment in Sardasht.

The activity commemorated 38 years of chemical attacks on the City of Sardasht.

Iraq under the late President Saddam Hussein dropped a mustard gas bomb at Sardasht on June 28, 1987, leaving at least 119 civilians dead and injuring 8,000 others, causing some of them to record permanently.

Western countries - including Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, France and the United States - contributed to the then Iraqi regime's chemical weapons program.

Foreign Minister Araghchi said the credible and documentary supported evidence confirmed that certain Western countries, particularly the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, had provided the chemicals, technology, and equipment needed for the Saddam regime, which allowed it to use chemical weapons against the Iranian people.

He continued, Western support, along with the disgusting silence of the international community, made Saddam's regime even more daring to continue to commit its atrocities and violate international law without punishment.

Foreign Minister Araghchi further expressed her sincere hope, through her determination and collective efforts, that it would be time for no human being to become victims of weapons of mass destruction, and that peace and friendship would replace war and violence.

He noted the world had witnessed in recent days the killing of Iranian women and children, ordinary civilians, university professors, nuclear scientists and senior military and civilian officials "at the hands of some of the most cunning and evil terrorists" based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

"The same Western countries have sided with the aggressors, offering de facto support for acts of aggression and violations of international law and the United Nations Charter," the top Iranian diplomat stressed.

He warned that the Israeli regime's attacks on Iran's important infrastructure, including facilities involved in the production of industrial chemicals, pose a serious risk of humanitarian disasters and the environment.

Foreign Minister Aragchi underlined that Tehran had officially called for an emergency session of the Executive Board of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to examine and condemn the inhumane attack.

At the end of his message, Foreign Minister Araghchi paid tribute to the steadfastness, perseverance, solidarity, unity, and resilience of the Iranian nation in the face of recent aggression by the Zionist and United States regimes.

Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on June 13 in the "Raising Lion" operation that led to the death of senior military commanders, scientists and civilians.

On June 22, the US launched a "Midnight Hammer" operation by bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, which are serious violations of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Iran responded by launching a retaliatory attack targeting a number of cities in Israel, as well as a US military base in Qatar, before a ceasefire agreement was announced on June 24.