iti ative , ▁Iran ▁is ▁known ▁to ▁possess ▁cult ures ▁of ▁the ▁many ▁bi ological ▁agents ▁for ▁legit imate ▁scientific ▁purposes ▁which ▁have ▁been ▁weapon ised ▁by ▁other ▁nations ▁in ▁the ▁past , ▁or ▁could ▁theoret ically ▁be ▁weapon ised . ▁Although ▁they ▁do ▁not ▁al lege ▁that ▁Iran ▁has ▁attempted ▁to ▁weapon ise ▁them , ▁Iran ▁poss esses ▁sufficient ▁bi ological ▁facilities ▁to ▁potentially ▁do ▁so . ▁ ▁Chem ical ▁weapons ▁ ▁Iran ▁has ▁experienced ▁attack ▁by ▁chemical ▁war fare ▁( C W ) ▁on ▁the ▁battle field ▁and ▁suffered ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁cas ual ties , ▁both ▁civil ian ▁and ▁military , ▁in ▁such ▁attacks ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 – 8 8 ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War . ▁Iran ▁was ▁completely ▁un prep ared ▁for ▁chemical ▁war fare ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁even ▁have ▁sufficient ▁gas ▁mask s ▁for ▁its ▁troops . ▁Due ▁to ▁san ctions , ▁Iran ▁had ▁to ▁purchase ▁gas ▁mask s ▁from ▁North ▁Korea ▁or ▁commercial ▁painting ▁resp ir ator ▁mask s ▁bought ▁from ▁the ▁West . ▁Iran ▁is ▁not ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁res orted ▁to ▁using ▁chemical ▁weapons ▁in ▁ret ali ation ▁for ▁Ira qi ▁chemical ▁weapons ▁attacks ▁during ▁the ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War ▁despite ▁the ▁fact ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁leg ally ▁entitled ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁under ▁the ▁then - ex isting ▁international ▁treat ies ▁on ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁chemical ▁weapons ▁which ▁only ▁prohib ited ▁the ▁first ▁use ▁of ▁such ▁weapons . ▁Still ▁Iran ▁did ▁develop ▁a ▁chemical - we