IRNA � Apart from defensive capabilities, �our biggest asset and means of deterrence are the people and the culture of sacrifice and martyrdom in the country,� said Iran�s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday.

Zarif made the remarks in his address to a conference in Tehran to honor the sacrifices made by families of martyrs and the war veterans of the 1980-1988 Iraqi-imposed war on Iran.

He said that the Islamic Republic owes its livelihood and honor to the efforts and sacrifices made by these families.

Referring to Iraq�s use of chemical weapons during the war on Iran, Zarif said that Iran reported all the cases of the use of chemical weapons by the Iraqi former dictator Saddam Hussein to the United Nations but none of the reports has led to an action by the UN Security Council.