Iran’s vice foreign minister denounced measures taken by some countries to impose sanctions on the supply of medicines to other countries as “illegal, inhumane and shameful”.
Reza Najafi, deputy minister for legal and international affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed a high-level meeting of the Group of Neutral Friends for Peace, Security and Sustainable Development hosted by Turkmenistan on Saturday.
Describing the sanctions as a form of economic terrorism, Najafi said: [the supply of] In fact, medicine uses drugs and medical devices as weapons against patients, which is completely illegal, inhumane and shameful. “
Iranian diplomats said that relying on unilateral coercive measures, including sanctions, is one of the destructive measures that undermine international peace and security and is not only a blatant violation of human rights, but also a He pointed out that it hinders the economic and social development of
He added: [unilateral coercive] These measures are irresponsible and represent a blatant violation of the fundamental principles underlying international law and international humanitarian law. “
The Friends of Neutrality Group for Peace, Security and Sustainable Development is an initiative of Turkmenistan established in 2020 for the peaceful resolution of conflicts and has about 20 members.
After the United States, under former President Donald Trump, withdrew unilaterally from the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018, Iran agreed to the terms of the agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It has reinstated devastating sanctions against Iran despite full compliance.
The sanctions have blocked financial channels that could be used to deliver essential medicines, materials, or medical equipment to Iran.
Washington and its Western allies claim humanitarian aid is exempt from sanctions, yet tens of thousands of patients in Iran die or develop serious illness due to the lack of access to essential medicines. It is
A blanket ban on banking transactions involving Iran has left the country without access to life-saving medicines and medical devices.
Iranian officials say the US is bullying companies in Europe and other parts of the world to stop doing business with Iran.
The problem is that during the coronavirus outbreak in Iran in 2020, sanctions made it impossible to pay for vaccine supplies ordered from other countries, forcing a nationwide vaccination program against the disease to be postponed. It got more serious when it was gone.
