President Biden declared on Friday that the United States has successfully destroyed its last remaining chemical weapon, marking a significant milestone in global disarmament efforts. This achievement fulfills the nation's commitment under the Chemical Weapons Convention and represents the first instance of an international entity verifying the complete elimination of a declared category of weapons of mass destruction.

In a statement, President Biden expressed pride in this accomplishment, emphasizing the decades-long effort to eradicate the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile. He acknowledged the contributions of countless Americans involved in this challenging undertaking and highlighted the global implications of this achievement, bringing the world closer to being free from the threat of chemical warfare.

This final disposal comes just ahead of the September 30th deadline set by the international Chemical Weapons Convention, a treaty ratified by 193 nations in 1997. The last batch of weapons destroyed included 51,000 M55 rockets containing the nerve agent sarin, stored in Kentucky since the 1940s. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies sarin as a highly toxic chemical warfare agent, capable of causing death within minutes of exposure.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell commended the elimination, stating that while the use of chemical weapons remains a dark chapter in history, the U.S. has honored its pledge to remove these weapons from its arsenal.

The historical use of chemical weapons, dating back to World War I, has resulted in an estimated 100,000 or more fatalities. The complete eradication of the U.S. stockpile represents a significant step towards preventing future use of these devastating weapons.