Health minister blasts US for blocking Iran’s access to medicine

The sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump's administration have deprived the people in Iran of having access to medicine even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said the health minister.

“The US has committed the worst cruelty in the history against the Iranian people during the coronavirus outbreak despite the claim that medicine is not in the list of sanctions,” Saeid Namaki said on Tuesday, Fars News Agency reported.

He reiterated that the US claim that supply of drugs and medical equipment to Iran is not under sanctions is nothing more than a lie.

The US officials claim that Washington’s sanctions on Tehran do not impede exports of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and humanitarian aid to Iran.

Namaki appreciated efforts by Iranian new technology-based firms to meet the country’s needs for medicine, face masks and gowns to fight against the coronavirus, saying in less than 50 days after the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country (late February), these companies managed to both meet the domestic demand for personal protective equipment and export such products.

In relevant remarks on Sunday, Namaki, again, lashed out at Washington for lying about exports of medical supplies and vaccines to Iran not being obstructed by the sanctions.

“The US is one of the most vicious and cowardly governments in the world which has blocked everything. Their claim of having exempted the purchase of drugs and medical equipment from sanctions is a lie,” he said.

Source: Iran Daily