“Western intelligence officials suspect that Iran has been sending Chinese-made chlorine gas to Syria in a bid to bolster President Bashar al-Assad’s war against opposition forces,” according to a report by Washington Free Beacon.
Reports that Iranian regime is sending chlorine bombs to Syria have prompted lawmakers to criticize the Obama administration for ignoring Iran’s non-nuclear efforts to foster terrorism and discord across the Middle East, the report said.
Human rights groups and Syrian opposition leaders have said there is “strong evidence” that Assad has already used the chlorine gas to attack opposition forces in some Syrian towns.
Leading foreign policy figures on Capitol Hill told the Washington Free Beacon that the Iranian regime’s military support for Assad highlights the need for the United States to clamp down on Iran’s non-nuclear illicit actions.
“These allegations are disturbing but sadly not surprising and serve as a timely reminder that Iran’s nefarious activities go far beyond their nuclear weapons program,” Rep. Doug Lamborn (R., Colo.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told the Free Beacon.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R., Fla.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Free Beacon that Iran’s purported shipments of chlorine bombs is consistent with its efforts to spread terrorism and bolster rogue regimes.
A recent State Department report on terrorism across the globe singled out the Iranian regime for supporting rogue actors in more than 15 countries.