TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that Iran will restore rights of the victims of chemical weapons victims through legal mechanisms at the international level.

He made the remarks in a message published on the 28th anniversary of chemical attack on Sardasht in West Azerbaijan Province, IRNA reported on Sunday.

He expressed sympathy with the victims of the attack.

“Tir 7th [June 28] is the 28th anniversary of the heinous chemical bombardment against the defenseless and suppressed people of Sardasht by Baathist regime of Iraq which has been rightfully dubbed the national day of fight against the chemical and biological weapons in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he stated.

He said that the global arrogance and supporters of the Baath regime spared no effort in providing the most modern conventional weapons to it and equipping it with materials to build chemical weapons and encouraging it to use them against civilians and thereby “created the darkest pages of the human history”.

Such attacks were faced with silence of the international community and led to the killing of thousands of people, but they could not influence the “strong will” of Iranian people or bring the war to an end “in favor of the aggressors”.

The Iranian foreign minister called on the international community to fulfill its “legal and moral duty” and provide the ground to bring those who committed this “inhumane” crime to justice.

Zarif also described Iran as one of the “victims” of chemical weapons.

Iran, as an active member to the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, along with the other member states will make efforts to help annihilate all chemical weapons, he noted.

On June 28, 1987, Iraqi aircraft dropped what Iranian authorities believed to be mustard gas bombs on Sardasht in two separate bombing runs on four residential areas.

Out of a population of 20,000, 25% are still suffering severe illnesses from the attacks. The gas attacks occurred during the Iran–Iraq War, when Iraq frequently used chemical weapons against Iranian civilians and soldiers.

NA/P