Trump: I have no objection to sending medical equipment to Iran

US President Donald Trump has no objection to sending medical equipment from other countries to Iran. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also reiterated that US sanctions do not prevent the sending of humanitarian aid to Iran.

US President Donald Trump said at a press conference on Wednesday evening, April 8, in response to a reporter's question about a recent phone call between Rouhani and Macron, the presidents of Iran and France, "They [the Europeans] are sending medical equipment to Iran. I have no problem with that."

In line with Trump's remarks, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated that the sanctions imposed by the US against the Islamic Republic do not prevent the sending of humanitarian aid to Iran.

He stated to reporters at the White House: "The world should know that there are no sanctions that prevent the sending of humanitarian aid or medical and pharmaceutical supplies to Iran."

The US Secretary of State, stating that "it has been heard, the people [of Iran] are talking about sanctions," expressed regret that Iran has not accepted the US offer of assistance to combat the spread of the new coronavirus.

Pompeo added that in addition to offering aid to the Islamic Republic, the United States has “facilitated assistance to Iran through other countries.” He stressed that transferring money to Iran would not be facilitated.

Requesting a loan from the International Monetary Fund

The Islamic Republic, which is under severe pressure from economic sanctions, including an embargo on oil exports, has requested a $5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to meet its needs and deal with the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus.

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are set to provide a total of $62 billion in interest-free or very low-interest loans to countries around the world struggling with the coronavirus crisis.

Although the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently approved loan requests from 11 countries, Iran was not among them. Iranian officials believe that the IMF did not agree to Tehran's request due to US pressure.

The Wall Street Journal also reported on Wednesday (April 10), citing several senior American officials who declined to be named, that the United States intends to "prevent approval of Iran's request for a loan from the International Monetary Fund."

The first transaction between the European Union and the Islamic Republic through the INSTEX system is one of the few glimmers of hope for Iran.

The German Foreign Ministry recently announced (Tuesday, March 31) the first successful European trade exchange with Iran through the INSTEX financial mechanism.

The ministry issued a statement saying: "France, Germany and the United Kingdom confirm that INSTEX has successfully completed its first exchange with Iran, enabling the export of medical goods from Europe to Iran."

INSTEX, or the Iran Trade Support Mechanism, was created in January 2019 by France, Germany, and the United Kingdom to facilitate non-dollar trade with Tehran.

The lack of access of the Islamic Republic's banking system to the system for transferring funds between banks in other countries has made import and export conditions more difficult, and goods arrive in Iran at higher costs.

Lifting the freeze on Iranian assets in Luxembourg

Lifting the freeze on some of the assets of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran could also help Iran combat the spread of the new coronavirus.

Abdolnaser Hemmati, Governor of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran, announced on Wednesday, April 10, that $1.6 billion of the bank's assets in the company "Clearstream Luxembourg" have been unfrozen.