Iran says chemical weapons in Syria a 'red line'

Foreign minister accuses rebels of alleged sarin attack, but refrains from saying what action Tehran might take

By Stuart Winer

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1 May 2013, 1:08 am

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Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.

Iran said that the use of chemical weapons in Syria is a “red line” but asserted that it is rebel forces who were behind the alleged use of sarin nerve agent in an attack, not the Assad regime.

“We have always emphasized that the use of chemical weapons on the part of anyone is our red line,” said Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, according to the ISNA news agency as reported by Reuters on Tuesday. “Iran is opposed to the use of any kind of weapon of mass destruction, and not just their use but their production, accumulation, and use.”

The use of the “red line” phrase reflects similar statements by US President Barack Obama who has in the past said that the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government would cross a “red line.”

However, while Obama’s warnings were taken to mean possible US military intervention in the Syrian civil war, Salehi made no indication of what action Iran might take.

Salehi urged the United Nations to investigate the alleged use of the nerve agent sarin in an attack he said was staged by rebels fighting Assad’s forces.

“We have also requested that, in accordance with the Syrian government, which emphasizes that the opposition has used these weapons, the United Nations…identify the main culprit in this regard, which is the opposition,” Salehi said.

The Syrian government and opposition forces have both blamed each other for an attack in Aleppo on March and another in Homs in December 2012, in which chemical weapons were allegedly used.

Syria has asked the UN to investigate only the Aleppo attack, whereas UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon insists on investigating both incidents, creating a sticking point that has so far prevented an inquiry from proceeding.

Earlier this month Brig. Gen. Itai Brun, head of the Research and Analysis Division at the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate, declared that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons in the attacks. Over the following week, US officials admitted that the evidence pointed towards use of chemical agents, but have so far said that they are still assessing the situation before deciding on any action.

Iraq used chemical weapons on Iran during the 1980-88 war between the two countries. Iran says that 100,000 of its citizens were exposed to poison gas, although other reports put the numbers at 60,000, Reuters said.