First human trial of domestically-produced coronavirus vaccine

Iran has finally begun the first human trial of a domestically-produced coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for the country to be among the handful of nations capable of producing it.

This advancement though, comes in the wake of US economic sanctions, meant to bring the Islamic Republic to its knees. But Iran’s recent developments in various fields have proven that the US maximum pressure policy has had a reverse outcome.

Iran COVID-19 vaccine

Iran has also managed to come up with its own domestically-produced COVID-19 vaccine.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to surge across the world, many countries have started mass vaccinations in an effort to bring the virus under control. From Europe to Latin America, many nations have imported vaccines in large quantities to help their people get rid of the highly-infectious disease.
Iran however, has managed to come up with its own DOMESTICALLY produced COVID-19 vaccine. The country has now begun testing the inoculation on humans after successfully completing the initial steps, including tests on animals, and obtaining necessary approvals.

Vaccine produced at height of sanctions

Coviran vaccine Phase I clinical trial: Volunteers get first shots

Iran begins the first phase in the human trial of the homegrown COVID-19 vaccine after completing initial steps and obtaining necessary approvals.

The human trial of the vaccine was initiated at the Headquarters for Executing the Order of Imam Khomeini in the capital Tehran on Tuesday. A total of 56 volunteers will gradually receive injections during the first stage. The vaccine, Coviran Barekat, is named after the pharmaceutical group behind its development.

In Pictures: Coviran vaccine enters first stage of human trial

Iran

The achievement comes as Iranian authorities have been critical of the US for hindering the country’s efforts to buy vaccine from aboard. Many believe the Iranian-made vaccine proves the country’s enhanced capabilities despite US sanctions.

Necessity is the mother of invention

Necessity is the mother of invention, they say, and the Iranian people needed a vaccine. The, the US maximum pressure campaign denied them access to the vaccines. And so the Iranian people, their scientists, their government had to go the extra mile to be resilient and develop their own domestic vaccine, it's a remarkable achievement, but it's the kind of thing that, that is an unintended consequence of campaigns of maximum pressure and hybrid warfare against countries; people will learn to be self sufficient to be self-reliant, and they make new alliances with other countries in the military, economic, and political spheres, and that's exactly what Iran has done.

Ken Stone, Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War

On Saturday, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani once again lashed out at Washington, saying it’s wicked activities have caused trouble for Tehran to acquire vaccines.

Iran has no concern about COVID-19 vaccine supplies: Rouhani

Iran’s Rouhani says the country has no concern about supplies of COVID-19 vaccines.

Earlier this month, the head of Iran's Central Bank also slammed the US administration for its sanctions which he said have been hampering efforts to purchase the inoculation.

Abdol-Nasser Hemmati said Iran is prepared to purchase the vaccine through the World Health Organization, but is unable to transfer the required money due to “inhumane U-S sanctions”. Hemmati, however, expressed hope that the vaccine-related transactions will be done through other channels.

Iraq to release Iranian funds for vaccine purchase: Minister

Iran will use its funds in Iraq for purchase of COVID-19 vaccines from a European manufacturer.

“Robust production can fight off sanctions and economic viruses”                                

The administration of U-S President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018. Since then, American officials have targeted every Iranian sector with the severest sanctions ever enforced against any nation.

The US economic pressure has prompted Iranian officials to take a tactical step against such measures. Earlier this month, the leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khameni, urged officials to focus on neutralizing the sanctions as well as securing their removal.

The leader even cautioned against trusting the enemies and warned that US hostilities toward Iran will not end once President Trump leaves office.

But from the medical field to the military, to technology and a whole host of other fields, Iran has advanced its know-how domestically thanks to the US maximum pressure campaign and sanctions.

Clearly, the US campaign of maximum pressure has not succeeded in overturning the government of the Islamic Republic. And in fact, has made it stronger and more resilient and an unintended consequence of all of this maximum pressure campaign has been to force, Iran, and other countries, under the thumb of the US to become more self reliant, and to seek other trading arrangements, other military arrangements, other political alliances. And the end result is that the US Empire is now declining, and it will continue to decline at an ever accelerating pace.

Ken Stone, Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War

Hybrid warfare

But the US measures are not limited to sanctions alone. Washington and its allies, mostly Israel, have a long history of using other "evil tactics" to prevent Tehran from its advancements.

Despite loss of pillar scientific development to forge ahead in Iran

One of the pillars of Iran’s scientific development was assassinated; however, Iran’s scientific growth will never cease.

That includes the assassination of Iranian scientists, with Mohsen Fakhrizadeh being the latest victim of US and Israeli plots. Fakhrizadeh is not the only Iranian scientist assassinated by the American and Israelis agents and probably will not be the last one.

The US and many of the G 20 countries are engaged in regimes of economic sanctions and programs of hybrid warfare against a number of countries with the point of bringing these countries under their control. The US is an empire. And it uses campaigns of hybrid warfare, which included, for example the targeted assassinations of General Soleimani, and the nuclear scientist Dr Fakhrizadeh, includes economic sanctions. It includes continuing attacks in the mainstream media, it includes warfare initiatives against the government of Iran, and it does all this in the hope of bringing down the Iranian government.

Ken Stone, Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War

They fail to realize a simple fact of life, the fact that the advancement of a nation doesn’t depend on one person. Eliminating an icon, like Fakhrizadeh, will be felt for a long time but will not stop Iran from going forward.

Child cancer patients dying in droves due to sanctions

US sanctions imposed on Iran by the Trump administration have led to children with cancer needlessly dying in Iran from lack of medicine; thousands of adults are also dying each month from COVID-19.

The US anti-Iran moves also raises the question as to who the United States is really targeting by using all possible means to block a country’s progress, be it hampering efforts to buy a coronavirus vaccine or anything else?

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