Iran says 111 petrochemical and pharmaceutical sites damaged by US strikes

Hadi Farajvand, Iran’s permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, announced that US military strikes targeted Iran’s chemical industries, damaging 111 petrochemical and pharmaceutical facilities and directly impacting supply chains and the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Speaking at the 113th session of the OPCW Executive Council, Farajvand said the damage included 60 petrochemical complexes, 44 pharmaceutical factories, and seven pharmaceutical facilities in Iran.

Impact of strikes and the need to protect chemical facilities

The Iranian envoy noted that these damages disrupted supply chains and affected Iran’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, stressing the importance of protecting chemical facilities from armed conflict to safeguard the convention, ensure the continuation of peaceful chemical activities, and promote international cooperation.

Farajvand added that deliberate attacks on these facilities raised serious concerns regarding Articles 1, 6, and 11 of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which relate to general obligations, non-prohibited chemical activities, and international cooperation and economic and technological development.

Iranian concerns over US treaty compliance

During his remarks, the Iranian envoy reiterated his country’s concerns about the extent of US compliance with the convention, citing issues related to Israel’s chemical weapons program and the US program on non-lethal and incapacitating chemical weapons.

Farajvand emphasized that these concerns have remained unresolved and unanswered for over two decades.

The 113th session of the OPCW Executive Council began on Tuesday, October 6, in The Hague and will continue until October 9. The Executive Council comprises 41 member states.