In a recent publication by the Alma Research and Education Center (AREC), Israeli researchers have put forth claims suggesting that Iran is assisting Syria in bolstering its inventory of chemical weaponry.
The report, titled 'The Risk of Chemical or Advanced Weapons Ending up in the Hands of the Iranian Axis Proxies,' was authored by Tal Beeri, the head of AREC, and Teddy Sapir. They allege that both Iran and Syria are utilizing the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) as a means to accomplish this.
Established in 1971, the SSRC is a government organization mandated to coordinate scientific activities in Syria. With facilities dispersed across the nation, the report suggests that the SSRC doubles as Syria's national military laboratories. Beeri and Sapir accuse Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of using the organization for the purpose of expanding "extensive chemical capabilities to generate deterrence vis-à-vis Israel."
The report stated that Syria believes that these types of weapons serve as a deterrent that helps the Iran backed regime survive.
Despite claims by Syria of having dismantled its chemical weapons in 2013, the report contends that "Syria is still producing and storing chemical substances with the feasibility of future military use." International organizations that monitor chemical weapons have accused the al-Assad regime of employing the banned munitions throughout the prolonged 12-year civil war.
The report also claims that Hezbollah using chemical weapons “in the next confrontation with Israel cannot be ruled out".
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