Calls for Lifting Sanctions Under Corona Pretext and Rejection of Doctors Without Borders Aid

The Iranian government says sanctions prevent medical assistance to people and has called for their removal, but at the same time opposes aid from Doctors Without Borders to the people itself. Which position of Iran should the international community believe? A conversation with Sadegh Zibakalam.

The condition of Iranian hospitals is dire. Coronavirus claims many lives in this country every day. People are in need of help and hospital staff are under severe pressure. The Iranian government, which was bankrupt even before the coronavirus crisis, now says American sanctions have severely limited this country’s capacity to fight coronavirus and wants these sanctions to be lifted.

Abdolnaser Hemmati, Governor of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic, also said that with the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, part of Iran’s money blocked by America is “gradually” returning to the country and from resources expected to be released will be used “for importing essential goods, medicine and medical equipment.”

But something is amiss; Doctors Without Borders came to this country at the formal invitation of the Iranian government and intended to help by establishing a small field hospital to the extent their facilities allowed, but they were not permitted to conduct medical activities. What impact could this policy have? Will it help lift sanctions? Can we expect the Iranian government’s approach to the international community to change? Or is coronavirus also supposed to be eradicated with “jihadist” policies? Conversation with Sadegh Zibakalam, professor of political science at Tehran University, who answered Deutsche Welle’s questions from quarantine.

Is it possible that the coronavirus crisis and the enormous problems it brings could cause the Iranian government to change its approach to the world? Especially since more than ever it needs the help of the international community to combat this disease and its consequences.

Sadegh Zibakalam: I think it’s unlikely. It’s true that movements, voices and demands have begun in Iran calling for sanctions to be eased somewhat in light of the coronavirus crisis and the medical needs that have emerged in Iran and will continue to increase, at least to allow medical supplies like medicines to enter Iran. But beyond that, it seems unlikely that any change will occur. Because there has been no change in the overall foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, that is, its harsh, radical and revolutionary policy.

The Iranian government used the coronavirus as a pretext to ask the Security Council and the world to end sanctions against Iran. What impact could the treatment of Doctors Without Borders have on the efforts and campaigns that have now begun in the world to lift sanctions against Iran?

The way Doctors Without Borders was treated is evidence for my answer to your previous question; that nothing in Iran has changed. The same hostile view, the same cynical outlook, a view that looks at Europe and the West as an enemy or as infiltrators and spies, still persists.

Unfortunately, regarding Doctors Without Borders, like many other ill-considered and hasty policies and decisions that are not in the interest of the Iranian people either, there is no accountability. We’re deprived of a single word or sentence from the officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran explaining why they blocked the work of Doctors Without Borders. Not only in this case but in many other cases there is no accountability. This shows that the state’s arrogance and excessive pride remains in place and it seems unlikely that anything will help open the way for lifting sanctions or even reducing them. Apart from that, some military officials are even mocking America, saying for example that we are willing to help Americans. Well, these don’t at all match with lifting sanctions.

Doctors Without Borders were invited to come and were supposed to establish a field hospital in Iran. Now apart from the field hospital, perhaps they had experiences that could have helped our doctors or the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. But following statements made by the Supreme Leader saying that they are spies and that medicines and supplies sent by Americans might be contaminated and poisoned, and following that the Ministry of Health and Medical Education blocked their work. Now perhaps the Supreme Leader didn’t mean Doctors Without Borders at all, but unfortunately the executive authorities perhaps do these things to please others, if you say bring a hat we’ll get it for you.

In your view, with the current situation, the conflicts between power factions and the paralysis of the parliament, can Hassan Rouhani’s government manage the coronavirus crisis to some extent in the remaining year?

Since I myself am in quarantine at home, I cannot say how well the crisis has been managed, but many doctors and other people said that Europeans (Germans, French, Italians) and other countries including Chinese are implementing strict and severe travel restrictions, so why don’t you do this? Why do you allow three million people by one account and four million by another to go on Nowruz trips? Wherever they go, north or south, they carry the risk of spreading coronavirus to those areas and conversely when they return to Tehran they return with the coronavirus.

In my opinion, strict quarantine should have been implemented from two weeks earlier. Of course I have no expertise and am only comparing with the way other countries have proceeded and I see that the situation in other countries for preventing and fighting the spread of this disease does not exist in Iran. Unfortunately, behaviors have been very flawed in every respect.

The second point is that in other countries when the government makes a decision, everyone cooperates, even those who oppose their government. But in Iran due to the distrust in the system and officials, unfortunately this cooperation does not exist and even if they make and announce correct decisions and policies, due to this distrust that exists, people don’t obey much and don’t comply with orders and policies.

Another problem is that the economic situation will deteriorate severely. It is estimated that between five to eight million people in Iran who are not salaried government employees, their income will be suspended. We are heading towards two or three weeks in which all or a large portion of economic activities have come to a halt. The government, because of sanctions and because it is unable to sell oil and gas and petrochemicals, had about one-third budget deficit (something around 150 trillion tomans) before coronavirus. This deficit has certainly increased with the coronavirus crisis. So how can the government help these millions of people who are not salaried employees?

For this reason, unfortunately, I see no light at the end of the tunnel for Mr. Rouhani’s government in 1399 (2020-2021).

Source: DW