▁W MD s ▁including ▁the ▁Bi ological ▁We ap ons ▁Convention , ▁the ▁Chem ical ▁We ap ons ▁Convention , ▁and ▁the ▁Non - Pro l ifer ation ▁Tre aty ▁( N PT ). ▁Iran ▁has ▁first - hand ▁knowledge ▁of ▁W MD ▁effects — over ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Iran ian ▁troops ▁and ▁civ ili ans ▁were ▁vict ims ▁of ▁chemical ▁weapons ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War . ▁ ▁The ▁Supreme ▁Le ader ▁of ▁Iran , ▁Ay atol lah ▁Ali ▁K ham ene i , ▁along ▁with ▁other ▁cler ics , ▁issued ▁a ▁public ▁and ▁categor ical ▁religious ▁dec ree ▁( f at wa ) ▁against ▁the ▁development , ▁production , ▁stock p iling ▁and ▁use ▁of ▁nuclear ▁weapons , ▁though ▁it ▁is ▁approved ▁by ▁some ▁relatively ▁minor ▁cler ics . ▁Later ▁versions ▁of ▁this ▁fat wa ▁forb id ▁only ▁the ▁" use " ▁of ▁nuclear ▁weapons , ▁but ▁said ▁nothing ▁about ▁their ▁production . ▁Iran ▁has ▁stated ▁its ▁u ran ium ▁en rich ment ▁program ▁is ▁exclus ively ▁for ▁peace ful ▁purposes . ▁The ▁I AE A ▁has ▁confirmed ▁the ▁non - d ivers ion ▁of ▁declared ▁nuclear ▁material ▁in ▁Iran ▁but ▁has ▁also ▁said ▁it ▁" ne eds ▁to ▁have ▁confidence ▁in ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁possible ▁military ▁dimensions ▁to ▁Iran ’ s ▁nuclear ▁program ." ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁a ▁Wisconsin ▁Project ▁on ▁N uc lear ▁Ar ms ▁Control ▁report ▁by ▁Lin