Iran Deplores Politicization of Syria’s Chemical File

First councilor and representative of Iran to the United Nations, Sattar Ahmadi, delivered a statement before the UN Security Council meeting, held in New York on June 11.

The session was dedicated to the situation in the Middle East with a focus of Syria.

“Iran strongly condemns the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, and under any circumstances. We reiterate our full support for the Chemical Weapons Convention and the promotion of its authority,” he said.

“We call for the full, effective, and non-discriminatory implementation of the Convention. As an active member of the OPCW, Iran underscores the essential importance of ensuring the independent, impartial, and professional work of the Organization. This is of outmost importance specially with respect to the issues related to the implementation of the obligations by States Parties, including the Syrian Arab Republic,” the Iranian envoy added.

“As a committed party to the Convention, the Syrian Arab Republic continues to uphold its commitments and cooperate closely with the OPCW. We acknowledge the vital importance of the efforts of the Syrian Government in implementing its obligations under the Convention. The destruction of its chemical weapons program in the least possible time and under severe conditions proves the importance of such efforts of the Syrian Government,” Ahmadi said.

“We welcome the recent submission by Syria of its 126 report which covers the relevant activities on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic during the past three months. We positively noted Syria's continued cooperation and provided all facilities to hold the 27th round of consultations between the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT) and the Syrian National Authority during the period 21-30 May 2024,” he said.

“The two sides engaged in technical discussions to achieve tangible progress that would allow the closing of a number of outstanding issues similar to the 26th round which resulted in the closure of three outstanding issues,” the Iranian envoy said.

“The Syrian National Authority also welcomed the announcement of the Technical Secretariat to plan the next Declaration Assessment Team (DAT) mission, based on its keenness to continue cooperation with the Technical Secretariat. It is disappointing that a certain group of countries continue to politicize the Syrian chemical file,” he added.

“This trend which has undermined the Convention’s authority and the OPCW’s credibility, must stop. It is in the interest of the Convention, the OPCW, the rule of law, and the maintenance of international peace and security,” he said.

“The OPCW must be able to perform its duties in an impartial, professional, and objective manner to establish facts and develop evidence-based conclusions. We support the continued constructive dialogue between Syria and the OPCW to address any remaining issues and bring the file to a final and conclusive resolution. This approach is pivotal for ensuring transparency, accountability, and the satisfactory resolution of all outstanding issues,” Ahmadi noted.