Chemical Weapons in Syria, Iraq and Beyond

Chemical weapons (CW) continue to be employed frequently in Syria and Iraq. While the scale of attacks has been relatively minor so far, the possibility remains that the Islamic State (IS) might attempt a high-impact WMD attack. Hezbollah, too, which is present in both Syria and Lebanon, might wish to be – or indeed, already may be – equipped with CW.

Iranian President Hasan Rohani, heretofore considered a “moderate” influence in the Islamic Republic, made a fiery speech Tuesday in which he declared, among other things, that the Palestinians have no choice but to engage in violence against Israel if they ever want to get their own independent state. He made the remarks during a meeting with the leadership of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror militia, which Iran sponsors.

UN officials on Tuesday accused the Assad regime in Syria of massacring civilians in the city of Aleppo, even as other reports out of the war-torn city indicate that civilians attempting to take advantage of an agreement by rebel factions to vacate certain areas to allow the regime to take control and civilians to escape have also been prevented from doing so by Iranian-backed militias.