UN Reporter: Iran Sanctions Are Unjust and Harmful
A UN special rapporteur said that United States sanctions against Iran are “unjust and harmful” and damage ordinary people.
Idriss Jazairy stated on Wednesday, August 22, in a statement that the reimposition of sanctions against Iran following the United States’ withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and the comprehensive implementation of this agreement by the Security Council indicates that these sanctions are “unlawful” according to him.
The UN special rapporteur in the field of “the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures” added: “International sanctions must have a legitimate purpose and be proportionate. Sanctions should not violate the rights of ordinary citizens, but none of these considerations have been taken into account in this case [sanctions against Iran].”
Mr. Jazairy emphasized: “These unjust and harmful sanctions are destroying Iran’s economy and currency, plunging millions into poverty, and raising the prices of imported goods to the point where they are no longer affordable for people.”
Donald Trump, the US president, withdrew from the JCPOA on April 8. On August 6, the first round of suspended US sanctions against Iran was reinstated.
Donald Trump had previously repeatedly called the JCPOA flawed and described it as the worst agreement. He believes this agreement does not cover Iran’s missile program and Tehran’s destabilizing role in regional peace and stability. The US president wants a new agreement that includes Iran’s missile program and regional activities.
Following the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, Iran’s currency market faced severe pressure and the dollar price rose rapidly.
The Health Ministry spokesman also stated on August 13 that due to currency fluctuations, 40 to 50 types of foreign drugs have become scarce in Iran. Iraj Harirchi, however, emphasized that “this shortage also exists in developed European and American countries and a shortage of one to two percent of medicines is unavoidable.”
The UN special rapporteur on Wednesday, however, stressed that current conditions are so ambiguous that Iran can no longer import its essential goods.
He stressed that these conditions could lead to drug shortages and “the silent death of millions of patients in hospitals.”
These remarks came as Saeid Namaki, deputy social affairs of the Planning and Budget Organization, said on August 13 that “with the planning and coordination carried out, people should not be concerned about the impact of sanctions in the field of medicines and medical equipment.”
In July, an “informed source” at one of Iran’s pharmacies told the Shargh newspaper that economic conditions had not yet shown their effect on the pharmaceutical sector but suggested that from September, people would “witness these effects.”
Source: Radio Farda
