Iran medical body writes to Guterres, slams UN inaction on cruel US bans

The Academy of Medical Sciences of Iran has written to the UN to complain about the world’s body failure to push for the lifting of cruel US sanctions at a critical time when the Islamic Republic is fighting a deadly coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Academy’s President Alireza Marandi criticized the UN and its affiliated organizations for taking “no effective measures” to ease the restrictive US measures, which are hampering Iran’s fight against the fast-spreading disease.

“Following correspondence about the US government’s illegal sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its direct impact on the health of the Iranian people, unfortunately, so far, the United Nations and other relevant organizations including the World Health Organization, which claim to defend the rights of humanity, have taken no effective measures to lift the cruel sanctions against our dear children, women, men and patients,” he wrote.

Marandi, who formerly served as health minister, also lashed out at the administration of US President Donald Trump for turning a deaf ear to calls on the international stage demanding sanctions relief and instead imposing even more anti-Iran bans.

“Instead, despite the urging of scientists, physicians and even some elected US officials to lift sanctions amid a worldwide Covid-19 disease pandemic, this irrational, ruthless American government has further tightened sanctions against the Iranian people,” he wrote.

Marandi further hailed the performance of Iranian officials in dealing with the coronavirus despite the inhumane US sanctions, saying their efforts have been “successful” in managing the pandemic.

“Even if a small part of these sanctions were imposed on European countries and the United States, those nations would surely collapse under the strain. As you know, we have been one of the worse-hit nations in this pandemic and would not have reached this difficult state had it not been for the repressive US sanctions imposed on all the world in order to punish Iran,” he added.

The United States reinstated its sanctions against Iran in May 2018 after leaving a United Nations-endorsed nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic and five other countries.

Since then, Washington has corded other countries to follow suit and mount pressure on Iran or face punishment.

“It is certain that history will judge the ineffectiveness and silence of international organizations claiming protection of international law and human rights against such crimes. These institutions have become toothless, if not complicit, and we will undoubtedly see the unraveling of our world order because of this refusal to take action against crass violations of international and humanitarian law by the US regime,” Marandi concluded.

US lawmakers press Trump to lift Iran sanctions amid ‘borderless’ pandemic

In a letter to the Trump administration, a group of US lawmakers call for the suspension of anti-Iran sanctions amid a global battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

Iran releases daily updates on outbreak

Iran has been among the countries hardest hit by the new coronavirus, which first showed up in China in late December 2019 before spreading to other parts of the world.

On Thursday, Iran’s Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour reported 2,875 new infections and 124 more deaths from the virus over the past 24 hours.

In total, 50,468 Iranian have contracted the disease and 3,160 have died, he pointed out, saying 16,711 patients have recovered so far.

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