Iran urges US not to oppose development of bioweapons convention
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Iran, according to Najafabadi, is concerned about the threat presented by "Israel", which is neither a signatory to the BWC or the Chemical Weapons Convention.
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The flag of Iran waves in front of the International Center building with the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, in Vienna, Austria, on May 24, 2021 (AP)
According to Iran's mission to the United Nations' third counselor Mohammad Ghorbanpour Najafabadi on Friday, the US is being asked to not oppose the development of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).
During a United Nations First Committee, Najafabadi stated that Tehran not only urges the US to "destroy its reservation" but also abstain from "opposing the development of the BWC, especially in response to reports of its involvement in the development of biological weapons."
In August, Russian Security Council Alexey Shevtsov stated Monday that the US is developing biological weapons, including some aimed at some ethnic groups.
He also detailed how the Pentagon wishes to expand its biological weapons program to other states and establish control over biological research, as well as collect bio-materials and pathogens, particularly dangerous ones.
Iran, according to Najafabadi, is concerned about the threat presented by "Israel", which is neither a signatory to the BWC nor the Chemical Weapons Convention.
He explained that Iran expects the international community to hold the occupation accountable by "exceeding and implementing these two conventions."
According to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, the BWC functions as a deterrent to the development, manufacturing, acquisition, transportation, storage, and use of biological and toxin weapons.
The BWC was the first multilateral disarmament treaty to prohibit weapons of mass destruction.
Biolabs and biological weapons are of utmost importance in the current state of affairs, as it was discovered that the United States has been helping with the construction of biolabs in Ukraine. Initially, Washington refused to admit the existence of US biolabs in Ukraine, however, later in time Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland did.
China says US in forefront of biomilitary activity worldwide
The United States is currently at the forefront of biomilitary activity globally, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in August in response to a Pentagon report assessing global biological threats.
The Department of State released a comprehensive assessment of biological threats that it titled "DoD Biodefense Posture Review". The report categorizes China as a principal long-term menace over its major advancements in the area of biological weaponry.
Reportedly, China's ventures raised concerns for US national security as the latter despite the latter pursuing biological weapons as well.
"As widely recognized, it is the United States that undertakes the highest volume of biomilitary operations globally and engages in actions that spark suspicions," Wang told reporters.
