The Governor of the Central bank of Iran (CBI) reacted to the Swiss envoy's remarks on a humanitarian channel for the delivery of foodstuff and medicine to Iran without tripping over the US sanctions.
Stating that Iran’s import of medicine and medical equipment in the first ten months of the current Iranian year is 2,000 times more than the volume imported from the Swiss financial channel, Hemmati said, “Iran is not dependent on the decisions and actions of other countries for providing its nation's essentials.”
“The US has done its utmost to prevent and disrupt drug imports for Iranian patients over the past year and a half,” he added.
“Despite US claims that medicines were not sanctioned in Iran but the fact that the US authorization to import medicines and medical equipment is needed, shows that the medicines were virtually sanctioned by the US. Otherwise, it did not require an authorization,” he noted.
“However, the central bank and other agencies did their best to counter the sanctions, and medicines needed by the patients have been provided so far and will continue in the future,” Hemmati added.
Swiss Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran Markus Leitner announced on Sunday that some 18,000 medical packages for organ transplantation have been imported to Iran.
MNA/ 4843640