▁called ▁for ▁a ▁compreh ensive ▁mult il ater ally ▁negoti ated ▁instrument ▁which ▁prohib its ▁thre ats ▁of ▁attacks ▁on ▁nuclear ▁facilities ▁devoted ▁to ▁peace ful ▁uses ▁of ▁nuclear ▁energy . ▁ ▁Bi ological ▁weapons ▁Iran ▁rat ified ▁the ▁Bi ological ▁We ap ons ▁Convention ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁August ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁ ▁Iran ▁has ▁advanced ▁bi ology ▁and ▁gen etic ▁engineering ▁research ▁programs ▁supporting ▁an ▁industry ▁that ▁produces ▁world - class ▁v acc ines ▁for ▁both ▁domestic ▁use ▁and ▁export . ▁The ▁dual - use ▁nature ▁of ▁these ▁facilities ▁means ▁that ▁Iran , ▁like ▁any ▁country ▁with ▁advanced ▁bi ological ▁research ▁programs , ▁could ▁easily ▁produce ▁bi ological ▁war fare ▁agents . ▁ ▁A ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁report ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁State ▁claimed ▁that ▁Iran ▁began ▁work ▁on ▁off ensive ▁bi ological ▁weapons ▁during ▁the ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War , ▁and ▁that ▁their ▁large ▁legit imate ▁bio - techn ological ▁and ▁bio - med ical ▁industry ▁" could ▁easily ▁hide ▁pilot ▁to ▁industrial - scale ▁production ▁capabilities ▁for ▁a ▁potential ▁B W ▁program , ▁and ▁could ▁mask ▁proc ure ment ▁of ▁B W - related ▁process ▁equipment ". ▁The ▁report ▁further ▁said ▁that ▁" available ▁information ▁about ▁Iran ian ▁activities ▁indicates ▁a ▁m aturing ▁off ensive ▁program ▁with ▁a ▁rapidly ▁evol ving ▁cap ability ▁that ▁may ▁soon ▁include ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁deliver ▁these ▁weapons ▁by ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁means ". ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁N uc lear ▁Th re at ▁In