Is Swiss humanitarian channel insufficient to meet Iran's needs?

11 May 2020 13:10 (UTC+04:00)

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By Trend

Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations Majid Takhte-Ravanchi said that unilateral US sanctions hurt Iran's fight against the coronavirus, and Switzerland's humanitarian channel is insufficient to meet Iran's needs, Trend reports via IRNA.

Noting that Iran has had one of the largest outbreaks of the coronavirus, Majid Takhte-Ravanchi said during a video conference that US unilateral sanctions have weakened Iran`s efforts to fight the disease, Trend reports citing IRNA.

Rejecting claims by US officials that human and medical exchanges were exempt from sanctions, he said such transactions are "practically impossible".

The video conference was attended by the ambassadors of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, Zimbabwe and Nicaragua to the United Nations.

Referring to the so-called Swiss Humanitarian Trade Agreement (SHTA), Takhte-Ravanchi said the channel was insufficient to meet Iran's needs.

“The US Treasury Department's conditions for licensing applicant companies to use the channel is so strict that it is impossible to trade via this way,” he said.

Takhte-Ravanchi also referred to the widespread economic and human losses due to coronavirus outbreak in Iran and other countries.

He asked immediate lifting of all banking, insurance, transportation, medical, industrial, export, import and other sanctions to help the affected countries.

Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country.

The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease.

The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.