TEHRAN – With an indirect reference to dropping of atomic weapons on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima by the U.S. in August 1945 in which more than 200,000 people were killed, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday that those kill “millions of people” are seeking to build nuclear weapons and not Iran.

Zarif made the remarks during a conference arranged to honor those martyred or wounded in the chemical attack on the Kurdish Iranian city of Sardasht by the Saddam Hussein’s regime on June 28, 1987.

Western companies provided materials to Iraq at the time for building chemical weapons. Saddam’s army also gassed the Kurdish people in northern Iraq.

Zarif said the Iranian people do not believe statements that the West is opposed to weapons of mass destruction.

“How can our people believe your opposition to weapons of mass destruction? While the Islamic Republic of Iran presented credible documents, not only you did not counter about the use of chemical arms by Saddam but also covered it up for years.” 

Zarif also referred to remarks by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei who told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a meeting in Tehran on June 13 that Iran does not build nuclear weapons not because of the U.S. opposition but because the Islamic Republic considers production and use of atomic weapons as haram (religiously forbidden).  

“As Leader of the Islamic Revolution has stated, your opposition would have no value for us if we sought to build nuclear weapons. We do not want that and we believe that those weapons are good for those who kill millions of people, and not 150 ones, in nuclear bombardments.

By “150 people” Zarif was referring to claims by Donald Trump who said the U.S. air force was “cocked and loaded” to attack three Iranian targets on Friday morning, but he called off the strike with 10 minutes to spare after being told that the airstrike might kill as many as 150 people.

“You talk about 150 people? Are you worried about 150 people while killing people with chemical weapons and annihilating generations with nuclear weapons?” Zarif asked. 

Zarif went on to say that Iran will never seek to produce nuclear weapons based on its strategic and religious views, noting such weapons are “against security and humanity”.

He added, “We make efforts to bring those who use chemical weapons to justice.” 

He noted that weapons of mass destruction are “symbol of brutality” that should be eradicated.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) shot down an unmanned U.S. surveillance drone on Thursday morning after it breached Iran’s airspace. The IRGC brought the drone down by firing a surface-to-air missile at it.

NA