Chemical Weapons:

Iran signed the CWC in 1993 and ratified the convention in November 1997.  Intelligence reports confirmed that Iran continued to pursue a CW capability after signing the Convention, but whether it has halted progress on CW production after the 1997 ratification is unknown.  So far, Iran has not made a declaration to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and international inspections of Iranian production and storage facilities have not been carried out.  While Teheran has been vocal in support of the CWC in recent months, Iran is still regarded as a CW proliferation threat within the international community.

In 1996, the CIA testified to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that "Iran's stockpile is composed of several thousand tons of CW agents, including sulfur, mustard, phosgene, and cyanide agents."  According to intelligence sources, in 1996 the Iranians were conducting research towards developing more toxic nerve agents.  As recently as May 1997, the United States placed sanctions on seven Chinese entities for "knowing and materially contributing to Iran's CW program" through the transfer of chemical agent and scientific know-how.  In addition to actively acquiring CW agent from abroad, Iran has been known to act as a supplier of chemical agent.  In 1987, Iran supplied Libya with agents known to have CW applications.

As one of the few nations to have been subjected to a CW attack (from Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War), Iran's desire to possess at least a retaliatory CW capacity is understandable.  Hopefully, however,  ratification of the CWC indicates a new willingness on the part of Iran to forgo its CW program in favor of international protection in the case of attack.

Biological Weapons:

Iran has been a member of the Biological Weapons Convention since 1973.  Nevertheless, Teheran has pursued a BW capability since the 1980's.  Though Teheran's program is thought to still be in the development stage, the Defense Intelligence Agency testified to Congress that "Iran's BW program has the momentum to mature into a weapons capability and to pose a regional threat during the next decade."

The New York Times recently interviewed several former Soviet BW scientists who attested to having been approached by the Iranian government to aid in Iran's BW program.  According to the scientists interviewed, at least 5 former Soviet scientists have relocated to Iran.  Several scientists who rebuffed Iranian offers stated that the Iranians were allegedly extremely interested in genetic engineering - a frightening new horizon in germ weaponry wherein BW could conceivably be designed that would target specific racial or ethnic groups.  The Iranian government declined to comment on the Times article.