US Warns Assad: No Impunity for Users of Chemical Weapons

A road sign in Syria's Khan Sheikhoun. (AFP)
A road sign in Syria's Khan Sheikhoun. (AFP)
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US Warns Assad: No Impunity for Users of Chemical Weapons

A road sign in Syria's Khan Sheikhoun. (AFP)
A road sign in Syria's Khan Sheikhoun. (AFP)

The United States slammed on Friday the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, warning that it will hold him to account for the chemical attacks it had launched during the conflict that erupted in 2011.

“In January, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons found the Assad regime responsible for the chemical attack on Douma in 2018 that killed 43, just as it was for the chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun six years ago this week which killed nearly 100. There can be no impunity for users of chemical weapons,” the US Embassy in Syria tweeted.

“No amount of Russian and regime disinformation can refute the facts and the thorough analysis of expert OPCW investigators. We know what happened in Douma, Khan Sheikhoun, and elsewhere in Syria, and we will continue to seek accountability for those responsible.”

The government has repeatedly denied that it had used chemical weapons during the war.

In wake of the Ghouta attack in 2013, it agreed to destroy its chemical weapons arsenal under a Russian-sponsored deal.

Last week, the US imposed sanctions against two members of the Assad family for their role in the smuggling of Captagon narcotics.

The sanctions, imposed in coordination between the US and the UK, targeted Samer Kamal al-Assad and Wassim Badi al-Assad.

In 2020, 84 million Captagon pills were produced at a factory owned by Samer in Latakia, the US Treasury said.

“Syria has become a global leader in the production of highly addictive Captagon, much of which is trafficked through Lebanon,” said Treasury official Andrea Gacki.

The stimulant has spawned an illegal $10 billion industry.



Islamic Consensus in Istanbul on Need for Solidarity Against Israeli Escalation

A commemorative photo of the ministers and officials participating in the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council in Istanbul (AFP)
A commemorative photo of the ministers and officials participating in the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council in Istanbul (AFP)
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Islamic Consensus in Istanbul on Need for Solidarity Against Israeli Escalation

A commemorative photo of the ministers and officials participating in the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council in Istanbul (AFP)
A commemorative photo of the ministers and officials participating in the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council in Istanbul (AFP)

The 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in Istanbul, witnessed a clear consensus among member states on the need for unity and solidarity in the face of Israel’s ongoing escalation. This comes amid continued international silence on the violations committed in Gaza and Israel’s expanding attacks into Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.
 
In his opening speech, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stated that the world’s silence on Israel’s aggressive policies in Palestine has only encouraged its regional expansion. He asserted that the coming period will see a “much greater role for the Islamic world, which must become an independent global power.”
 
Erdogan urged Islamic nations to overcome internal disputes and unite in defending their common causes. He warned that Netanyahu’s “Zionist ambitions” could push the world into catastrophe, likening the threat to that of Adolf Hitler, whose ambitions ignited World War II.
 
Regarding Iran, Erdogan stressed that defending oneself against Israeli attacks is a legitimate right, stating: “There is no difference between an attack on Tehran, Istanbul, Makkah, or Madinah - they share the same fate.”

He also warned against attempts to impose a “new Sykes-Picot” agreement on the region. He added that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is worse than Nazi concentration camps, with over two million Palestinians struggling to survive under siege for nearly two years.
 
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who assumed the presidency of the session, warned that Israel is dragging the region to the brink of total catastrophe.
He stressed that the core issue is not about Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, or others. It is “an Israeli problem,” he said. He further called for a firm stance against the aggression and praised Egypt and Qatar for their ongoing efforts to mediate a ceasefire.
 
Fidan criticized the failure of international mechanisms, particularly the UN Security Council, in addressing the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.
 
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit also condemned any targeting of nuclear facilities in Iran, warning of severe humanitarian and environmental consequences. He said that expanding the war will not bring peace and stressed the necessity of returning to diplomacy, referencing past successful negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
 
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi condemned Israel’s violations of international law and sovereignty in its attacks on Iran. He called for restraint, a return to diplomacy, and praised Oman’s mediation between the US and Iran.
 
Closed sessions were held in Istanbul to discuss developments in Gaza and Iran’s nuclear negotiations. A special Arab ministerial meeting also took place, denouncing the Israeli aggression against Iran and calling for urgent efforts to de-escalate.