Iran chemical weapons program scrutinized amid growing regional tensions

A new report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) raises concerns about… Iran’s mysterious chemical weapons programThis suggests that political decision-makers have not paid much attention to Iran’s nuclear weapons program, which is subject to increased scrutiny.

The FDD report details how the Iranian regime resorted to unconventional use of chemical weapons while facing an unprecedented uprising that began in December 2025, a wave of unrest not seen in Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Any use of chemical weapons by Iran would be a challenge to its obligations under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.

“The United States, its allies, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons must investigate credible allegations that the Iranian regime has used chemical weapons against its own people,” Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation Program and author of the report, told Fox News Digital.

An Iranian military truck carrying surface-to-air missiles in front of a portrait of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during a military parade on April 18, 2018, in Tehran. (Atta Kinari/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran’s illicit chemical weapons program is under renewed scrutiny as the Trump administration appears closer to taking military action against Iran and its nuclear weapons program.

While the United States engaged in indirect talks with Iranian officials mediated by Oman in Geneva, the United States increased its military presence in the Persian Gulf, sending… USS Gerald R. Ford To join dozens of other warships to the region.

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi posted on X that “Iran will resume talks with the United States in Geneva with the determination to reach a fair and equitable agreement – ​​in the shortest possible time.”

The Foreign Minister claimed that Iran would not seek to obtain nuclear weapons under any circumstances, but stressed that Iran would not give up its right to harness peaceful nuclear technology.

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OPCW headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, May 5, 2017. (Peter DeJong/The Associated Press)

He added: “An agreement is within reach, but only if diplomacy is prioritized.”

Despite the optimism and push to continue talks, concerns remain that Iran will not make any meaningful concessions on its nuclear program, which could lead to… American military strikes On the nation.

A broader regime change campaign to overthrow the government of the Islamic Republic led by the Ayatollah Ali KhameneiIt’s also not off the table, according to some reports.

“If Washington launches strikes against Iran, it should seriously consider targeting the regime’s chemical weapons research and production facilities,” Stricker said. “Such action would help stop further development and potential use of these weapons, while sending a clear message that the regime cannot commit atrocities with impunity.”

The Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Iran is a party, upholds standards against state-owned chemical weapons and, specifically, prohibits states from developing, stockpiling, producing and using chemical weapons, even for retaliatory reasons, as well as their receipt or transfer from anyone.

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“Over the past two decades, Iran has developed a chemical weapons program based on weaponized pharmaceutical agents,” Israel’s deputy ambassador to the Netherlands, Yaron Wax, said in July 2025 before a special meeting of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

These agents affect the central nervous system and can be fatal even in small doses, Wax said.

At the Shahid Mesami Research Complex, which was destroyed by Israel in June 2025, Iran’s Shahid Mesami Group (SMG) was working on tactical munitions derived from the opioid fentanyl for military use, the ambassador said. Israel believes that pharmaceutical agents have been transferred to it Long-time and now ousted dictator of SyriaBashar al-Assad and the Iraqi Shiite militias as well.

Iran began developing its chemical weapons program in 1983 during its war with Iraq in response to chemical attacks by Saddam Hussein’s regime, according to the U.S. intelligence community.

Through 2024, the United States has repeatedly found that Iran is not complying with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

In a job On X In November 2024, the Iranian mission to the United Nations retracted the accusations against it. “Iran, which was a victim of Western-donated chemical weapons used by Saddam’s regime, stands as a responsible member of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Over the past several decades, not a single case of Iranian violations has been recorded. The current unfounded reports are merely the result of the psychological warfare promoted by the Zionist regime in the wake of its recent defeat on the Lebanese front.”

Cars burn in a street during a protest against the collapse of the currency in Tehran, Iran, January 8, 2026. (Stringer/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)

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Stricker says the United States and the international community have failed to achieve this Holding Iran accountable Because of its illegal chemical weapons program, meaningful action must be taken to prevent Iran from transferring prohibited materials to nefarious actors affiliated with Iran in the Middle East.

The report indicates that the United States and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons should launch a pressure campaign against Iran, attack the regime and announce any violations. The report recommends that the Trump administration demand a formal warning to demonstrate compliance with the agreement and accept monitoring and verification mechanisms.

FDD also suggests that Israel ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention and operate within the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which would give Israel greater credibility in combating Iranian violations.

Smoke rises after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025, during an attack by Israel. (Getty Images)

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The report says that, as a last resort, the United States should consider launching strikes targeting the regime’s chemical weapons facilities, or supporting Israeli efforts, if actionable intelligence indicates movement in Iran’s chemical weapons efforts or a renewed push by the regime to use such illegal weapons to suppress anti-government protests.

“The only solution to Iran’s continued threat with weapons of mass destruction is for the United States and Israel to work to undermine the regime’s grip on power,” Stricker said. “Until then, the two countries will be forced to periodically strike at Tehran’s capabilities whenever they endanger regional peace.”

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