US finds Iran in violation of arms treaty

The Trump administration is poised to accuse Iran of violating an international treaty that bans chemical weapons, two US officials said Friday.

The officials said the administration plans to announce this week that Iran is not complying with the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. The non-compliance finding does not allege that Iran has used chemical weapons but rather that it has maintained facilities and equipment to produce them.

The determination does not carry immediate US penalties but could be used to file a complaint against Iran at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, The Hague-based 193-member body that oversees the treaty.

Lawmakers were notified of the impending determination on Friday and an announcement is expected as early as tomorrow, according to the officials.

The finding is part of the administration’s effort to isolate Iran after withdrawing from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal in May and earlier this month re-imposing all US sanctions that had been eased under the accord.