As the US edges closer to military action against Iran, a new report reveals a chemical weapons program that nobody has been paying attention to

A new report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) has put a spotlight on Iran’s chemical weapons program, which many policymakers have largely ignored. This comes as the Trump administration appears to be moving closer to possible military action against Iran, making the findings particularly relevant.

The FDD report raises serious questions about whether the Iranian regime may have used chemical weapons against its own people during an unprecedented wave of unrest that began in December 2025, the biggest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. If true, this would mean Iran is violating its obligations under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.

According to Fox News, Andrea Stricker, deputy director of FDD’s nonproliferation program and the author of the report, said that “The United States, its allies and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) should investigate credible claims that Iran’s regime used chemical weapons against its own people.”

Iran’s chemical weapons program deserves serious international scrutiny alongside its nuclear ambitions

While the US has been holding indirect talks with Iranian officials in Geneva, mediated by Oman, tensions in the Persian Gulf have been rising. The US has increased its military presence there, sending the USS Gerald R. Ford to join other warships already in the region. Military leaders have also flagged that a potential Iran strike carries serious risks that go beyond Tehran itself.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi posted on social media that Iran is ready to “resume talks with the U.S. in Geneva with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal, in the shortest possible time.”

He insisted Iran won’t pursue nuclear weapons but won’t give up its right to peaceful nuclear technology, adding that “A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.” The Trump administration has also given Iran a tight deadline to reach a deal, though experts question what that timeline actually means for negotiations.

Stricker believes that if the US does carry out strikes against Iran, it should consider targeting the regime’s chemical weapons research and production facilities. The Chemical Weapons Convention, which Iran has signed, clearly bans the development, stockpiling, production, and use of chemical weapons.

In July 2025, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the Netherlands, Yaron Wax, spoke at a special OPCW meeting, stating that “over the past two decades Iran has been developing a chemical weapons program based on weaponized pharmaceutical agents.”

He said these agents affect the central nervous system and can be fatal in very small amounts. Wax also claimed Iran’s Shahid Meisami Group was working on fentanyl-derived munitions at the Shahid Meisami Research Complex, which Israel reportedly destroyed in June 2025.

According to the US Intelligence Community, Iran began developing its chemical weapons program in 1983 during its war with Iraq, in response to Saddam Hussein’s chemical attacks. The US has repeatedly found Iran to be noncompliant with its Chemical Weapons Convention obligations, with findings as recent as 2024.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations rejected these claims in November 2024, saying Iran stands as “a responsible member of the CWC” and that “there has not been a single instance of Iranian violation recorded over several decades.”

The FDD report recommends that the US and the OPCW launch a pressure campaign against Iran, publicly calling out the regime for any violations. It also suggests the Trump administration issue a formal ultimatum demanding compliance and acceptance of monitoring. Additionally, the FDD recommends that Israel ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention and work within the OPCW to strengthen its credibility in challenging Iranian violations.