Iran's stance on Syria chemical attack clear: Foreign ministry

“Iran strongly condemned the chemical attack in Syria and was the first to ask for formation of an international fact-finding committee to look into the issue,” Bahram Qasemi told reporters on Monday.

He said that with great determination Iran put forward the issue of creating a fact-finding committee on Syria and Tehran agreed on the issue with its neighbors as well as Damascus.

What happened in Syria was suspicious, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

“For years, Syria has been under a United Nations' ban regarding possession of chemical weapons and the country had been disarmed,” Qasemi said.

“It was crystal-clear and there was no need for more clarity,” he said.

“But evidently, despite the fact that Syria had been disarmed, some terrorist groups with the help of some regional countries managed to access special armaments and funnelled them into Syria,” he added.

The foreign Ministry spokesman said that instead of taking a unilateral position, the Islamic Republic of Iran preferred to refer the issue to a fact-finding committee.

“If there is anything, we should look for them elsewhere,” Qasemi said referring to the possible source of the chemical weapons used in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province.

Washington alleges that the Syrian government has used the chemical weapons against its own people, something Damascus strongly rejects.

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