Mohammad Javad Zarif

Iran's Foreign Minister has said the horrors of Halabja and Sardasht chemical disasters cannot be forgotten by the Iranian nation.

IranPress/Iran news: Neither Iran nor our Kurdish brethren will ever forget the horrors of Halabja and Sardasht chemical disasters, the Iranian foreign minister said in a tweet on the anniversary of the Halabja chemical attack. Halabja is a town in Iraqi Kurdistan, close to the border with Iran.

 

“First they denied it happened—then they blamed Iran. When it was clear it was their own ally, using their own chemical weapons, they were silent. The West may like to forget about horrors of Halabja and Sardasht—31 years ago today—but neither we, nor our Kurdish brethren, ever will,” wrote Zarif in a post on his Twitter account on Saturday, 16 March, which marks the 31st anniversary of the Halabja chemical attack by Saddam's regime against its own Kurds, in which thousands were killed and injured, Iran Press reported citing Mehr News Agency.

The chemical materials used in the chemical weapons were supplied to Saddam's regime by a number of German, French, and Dutch firms.

Furthermore, Saddam regime, on June 28, 1987, dropped mustard gas bombs on the Iranian Kurdish city of Sardasht, in West Azerbaijan province, killing 110 civilians and injuring 5000 others. According to figures, out of a population of 20,000, 25% are still suffering severe illnesses from the attacks.  103/211/203

Read more:

OPCW: Chemical crimes in Halabja most lethal in history

Halabja chemical attack, 31 years on