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A detailed report by the Counterterrorism Center (CTC) highlights Iran’s activities in converting pharmaceutical materials into chemical weapons. It notes that, as early as the 1980s, U.S. intelligence documented Iran’s use of chemical weapons as a tactical tool in battle. Forty years later, the United States issued an official assessment confirming that Iran has not complied with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
Officials point to Tehran’s development of pharmaceutical drug-based chemical agents (PBAs) targeting the central nervous system, which are believed to be part of its ongoing chemical weapons program.
Research and Development of Chemical Agents
Since at least 2005, U.S. authorities have suspected Iran of conducting extensive research into the development of pharmaceutical chemical agents, primarily drugs targeting the central nervous system—actions that clearly violate the Chemical Weapons Convention. Although Tehran claims its program is intended for law enforcement purposes, U.S. officials have raised concerns about reports of Iran’s cooperation with Russia and Syria in these activities. The matter has drawn attention from the U.S. Departments of State, Treasury, and Defense, as well as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Group of Seven (G7) nations.
According to the report, Iran has progressed beyond research and development, advancing to the production of fentanyl-based agents. It is believed that Iran has supplied these substances to its proxies in Iraq and Syria, where they may have already been used in several incidents.
Supplying Chemical Agents to Proxies
Since 1988, U.S. intelligence analysts have noted that Iran’s “chemical weapons delivery methods have improved with experimentation.” By 2024, Israeli authorities reported that Iran had supplied chemical agents to its proxies in Iraq and Syria.
For instance, on June 5, 2014, victims of a chemical attack in the city of Arbin, Eastern Ghouta, experienced symptoms ranging from difficulty breathing to complete loss of consciousness. Similarly, on August 12, 2014, victims of a chemical attack in Damascus’ Jobar neighborhood suffered from reduced cognition and consciousness.
Further cases have been reported in Iraq, where some protesters in Baghdad displayed symptoms inconsistent with tear gas exposure, including loss of consciousness and unresponsiveness to stimuli. Iranian gas canisters were found at the scene of these incidents.
Concerns Over Chemical Weapon Use in Syria
These incidents have heightened concerns that Iran has supplied the Syrian regime and other proxies, such as Iraqi militias and Hezbollah, with pharmaceutical chemical agents. Hezbollah, for example, possesses tear gas distribution systems, including grenades and mortars, which could be adapted to deploy bombs filled with these chemical agents.
In its 2024 annual threat assessment, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned that “Iranian military experts have conducted research on toxic chemicals, many of which have anesthetic, sedative, or amnesic effects.”
Source:
The Combating Terrorism Center is an academic institution affiliated with the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York. It provides education, research, and policy analysis in the areas of terrorism, counterterrorism, homeland security, and internal conflict.
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