Supreme Leader on Chemical Weapons

October 8, 2014

            Iran’s supreme leader has taken to social media to condemn chemical weapons used against Iran nearly three decades ago. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office released an infographic on the 27th anniversary of Iraq’s use of mustard gas and nerve agents near the village of Sumar, Iran. The infographic on Khamenei's Facebook page states:

•Iraq launched more than 570 chemical attacks on Iran from 1983 to 1988.
•Some 1 million people exposed to chemical fumes.
•Some 100,000 Iranians still suffer from acute complications as a result of exposure.
•Western companies provided Saddam Hussein with the material to produce the weapons.


            War is tough and unfavorable but even war has its own rules.  #Islam orders us to observe human values during wars.
            In 1980-88 war, #Iran was bombarded with Saddam’s chemical weapons for about 6 years and the UN was only a bystander to this crime.
            Which countries provided Saddam’s arsenals with chemical weapons which he used against the Iranians for several years? 
             The arrogants knew Saddam would use chemical weapons on Iranian women and kids but they armed him with illegal weapons.
             Ayatollah Khamenei, 7/23/1997             

             The following is a list of instances of chemical weapon use by Iraq from the U.S. government*:
 
Use in Iran-Iraq war, 1983-1988 
 
  • August 1983 Haij Umran
 
Mustard , fewer than 100 Iranian/Kurdish casualties
  • October-November 1983 Panjwin
 
Mustard, 3,000 Iranian/Kurdish casualties
  • February-March 1984 Majnoon Island
 
Mustard, 2,500 Iranian casualties
  • March 1984 al-Basrah
 
Tabun, 50-100 Iranian casualties
  • March 1985 Hawizah Marsh
 
Mustard & Tabun, 3,000 Iranian casualties
  • February 1986 al-Faw
 
Mustard & Tabun, 8,000 to 10,000 Iranian casualties
  • December 1986 Um ar-Rasas
 
Mustard, 1,000s Iranian casualties
  • April 1987 al-Basrah
 
Mustard & Tabun, 5,000 Iranian casualties
  • October 1987 Sumar/Mehran
 
Mustard & nerve agent, 3,000 Iranian casualties
  • March 1988 Halabjah& Kurdish area
 
Mustard & nerve agent, 1,000s Kurdish/Iranian casualties
  • April 1988 al-Faw
 
Mustard & nerve agent, 1,000s Iranian casualties
  • May 1988 Fish Lake
 
Mustard & nerve agent, 100s or 1,000s Iranian casualties
  • June 1988 Majnoon Islands
 
Mustard & nerve agent, 100s or 1,000s Iranian casualties
  • July 1988 South-central border
 
Mustard & nerve agent, 100s or 1,000s Iranian casualties
*Numerous other smaller scale chemical weapons attacks occurred.