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Iranian General Warns against US Plot to Transfer Chemical Agents to Region

reporter 1222 — Sun, 01 Jul 2018 15:30:33 +0000

A spokesman for the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces cautioned against “dangerous” moves by Washington to justify its presence in the region and said a ship loaded with chemicals has arrived in the Persian Gulf waters under the escort of a US warship.

In comments released on Sunday, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi said the American ship “MV Cape Ray” carrying chemical materials has recently docked at a port of a Persian Gulf littoral state under the escort of a US Navy destroyer.

The past records of the American ship show that it has been present in some coasts of Iraq and Syria, where the Americans have taken military action under the pretext of responding to alleged chemical attacks, he noted.

The American vessel loaded with chemicals has entered the region with the aim of transferring these materials to parts of Iraq and Syria, the senior spokesman added.

He further warned against the possible consequences of American action, saying that after suffering consecutive defeats in the face of the Resistance Front, the Americans have now resorted to a dangerous way to justify their “illegitimate” military presence in the region.

Brigadier General Shekarchi went on to say that by offering unproven allegations, the US and its regional allies have already blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government for chemical attacks in the Arab country.

“We have accurate information about the American ship, including the number of crew and the loaded chemicals, which will be disclosed to the public in the future…,” said the spokesman.

In recent years, the Middle East has been plagued with Takfiri terrorist groups like Daesh (ISIL or ISIS), which are believed to have been created and supported by the West and some regional Arab countries.

The terrorist groups, which claim to be Islamic but whose actions are anything but, have been committing heinous crimes not only against non-Muslims but mostly against Muslims in the region.

Iraq and Syria have been among the countries gripped by terrorism.

Iran, a close ally of the two countries, has supported their legitimate governments in their campaign against foreign-backed militancy and terrorism.

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Iran Blames Chemical Attacks in Region on Sponsors of Terrorism

reporter 1222 — Sat, 02 Dec 2017 07:00:25 +0000

TEHRAN – Iran’s representative in an OPCW conference denounced terrorist groups’ access to chemical weapons as a threat to world peace and security, holding the sponsors of Takfiri groups responsible for the use of such lethal weapons in Syria and Iraq.

In an address to the 22nd Conference of the States Parties (CSP-22) to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague on Friday, Director of Political Affairs and International Security at Iran’s Foreign Ministry Qolam Hossein Dehqani highlighted the global threats posed by the stockpiles of chemical weapons at disposal of certain state parties and terrorist groups.

The use of chemical weapons by terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq is an actual consequence of direct and indirect support for these groups provided by certain countries, the envoy deplored.

Dehqani also stressed the need for the full elimination of chemical weapons stockpiles in the world and called on the member states to honor their commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

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.

CWC aims to eliminate an entire category of weapons of mass destruction by prohibiting the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, transfer or use of chemical weapons by states parties.

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OPCW Verifies 25 of 27 Chemical Weapons Facilities Destroyed in Syria

reporter 1222 — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 16:16:55 +0000

TEHRAN – Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had verified the elimination of 25 out of 27 chemical weapons production facilities in Syria, senior OPCW said.

The Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Ahmet Uzumcu made the remarks in a note in his forty-ninth monthly progress report on Monday, the Russian Sputnik News Agency reported.

The report sums up the progress achieved in the elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons for the period from 23 September 2017 to 22 October 2017.

“The Secretariat has verified the destruction of 25 of the 27 chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) declared by the Syrian Arab Republic. From 23 September to 6 October 2017, the Secretariat carried out annual inspections of five underground structures already verified as destroyed,” the note said.

The note also said that during the period under review, OPCW proceeded with preparations to carry out an initial inspection of the last two stationary above-ground facilities to confirm their current condition.

The Syrian government, he added, has previously requested assistance in the destruction of the facilities located in these two remaining sites.

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Putin hails Russia’s destruction of last chemical arms

reporter 1222 — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 08:02:19 +0000

Russian President Vladimir Putin hails his country’s destruction of its last supplies of chemical weapons, accusing the US of failing to fulfill its own obligations in this regard.

Putin on Wednesday described the destruction of the chemical stockpile, which was carried out before the initial deadline, as “a historic event,” stressing it was “a huge step towards making the modern world more balanced and safe.”

“Russia strictly complies with its international obligations, including those related to non-proliferation and reductions of weapons of mass destruction,” he said in televised remarks broadcast by the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

Putin also criticized the United States for not following Russia’s suit, saying Washington had put off doing so three times citing a lack of financial resources, which the Russian leader said “looked a little bit strange.”

The US “unfortunately is not carrying out its obligations when it comes to the timeframe of destroying chemical weapons; they pushed back the liquidation timeframe already three times,” he said.

File photo shows Russian army officers inspecting the condition of the barrels of chemical agents in storage at a military base. (Photo by Reuters)

Putin said Russia’s example in delivering on its promise to destroy its chemical arsenal should encourage other nations to do the same.

“We expect the United States to carry out all of its obligations it has taken upon itself as part of international agreements just like other countries do,” he added.

OPCW hails Russia’s move as ‘major milestone’

On Wednesday, the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) hailed as a “major milestone” Russia’s destruction of its last toxic arms.

“The completion of the verified destruction of Russia’s chemical weapons program is a major milestone in the achievement of the goals of the Chemical Weapons Convention,” said OPCW Director General Ahmet Uzumcu.

He also praised Russian officials for “their professionalism and dedication,” adding that experts from the organization had “verified the destruction.”

The OPCW said the last of the Russian arsenal was destroyed at the Kizner chemical weapons destruction facility in the Udmurt Republic.

Six other destruction facilities had completed their work and were closed between 2005 and 2015.

Russia and the US amassed huge stocks of chemical weapons during the Cold War. The two countries agreed to destroy their chemical arsenals by April 2012 after joining the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans the production, development, possession, sharing or use of chemical weapons, in 1997.

The two countries, however, said later they needed more time to destroy their chemical arsenals.

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