Iran urges Germany to probe wartime supply of chemical weapons to Iraq

TABNAK, Apr. 30 - Iran has called for full accountability for the use of chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq War, urging Germany to investigate and reveal the truth about its role in arming the regime of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein with the destructive weapons.

News ID: 6364

Date: 30 April 2025 - 09:08

In a statement issued on the anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention’s entry into force, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that for the Iranian nation, the day represents a global consensus on preventing a recurrence of the atrocities committed against Iranian soldiers and civilians through chemical warfare in the 1980s.

“Revealing the truth is the prerequisite for the realization of justice. Shedding light on the role of those who supplied materials and technologies used in Saddam’s chemical weapons program remains a serious item on the Foreign Ministry’s agenda,” Baghaei stated.

He said Iran has demanded Germany inform the world of its role in arming Iraq with chemical weapons.

“Iran’s demand that Germany establish a mechanism to uncover the truth and inform both Iranian and international public opinion about its role in arming Iraq with chemical weapons is a direct expression of that pursuit,” the spokesman added.

Celebrated on April 29, the Chemical Weapons Convention marks a landmark achievement in international law aimed at preventing the spread and use of chemical weapons.

During the 1980–88 war, the Iraqi army repeatedly employed chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers and civilians, leaving tens of thousands dead and many more suffering for years to come. The former Iraqi regime used chemical weapons more than 500 times against Iranian forces and civilians in five border provinces.

In these inhumane attacks, a wide range of toxic chemical agents-including mustard gas, nerve agents, and choking agents-were used against Iranians, some for the first time in warfare.

At least 10,000 Iranians were killed, and more than 107,000 civilians, including women and children, were injured in attacks.

In one of the most notorious incidents, the Saddam regime dropped mustard gas bombs on Sardasht, a small city in Iran’s West Azarbaijan Province, on June 28, 1987. The attack killed at least 119 Iranian civilians and injured another 8,000, leaving some permanently disabled.

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

German companies, in particular, played a significant and documented role in supplying Saddam Hussein’s regime with chemical weapons technology and materials.

Victims of these attacks continue to suffer to this day, with their plight compounded by ongoing Western sanctions that restrict access to medical supplies and equipment in Iran.