Iran medical societies write to UN in condemnation of US bans: Zarif

Sixty-six Iranian scientific medical societies have written to the UN chief in condemnation of the “inhumane and medieval” American sanctions targeting Iran’s health sector.

According to Press TV, in a post on his Twitter account on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif released the letter, which had been written to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on February 23.

Scholars, scientists and academics of 66 Iranian scientific societies highlighted that the unilateral US bans have “deliberately targeted” patients, healthcare sectors, academic research centers, healthcare providers, medical equipment suppliers, active pharmaceutical ingredients providers, pharmaceutical equipment suppliers and heath regulators.

The sanctions, they added, have led to “extensive shortages of life-saving medical supplies and drugs.”

“This politicization of science and imposition of discriminatory regulations against Iranian scientists and academia is unprecedented an unwarranted,” they said.

The scientific societies also urged the international community to “condemn US embargoes” on Iran and “act strongly against sanctions targeting medical needs, humanitarian aids and research advancement.”

They further called on the scientific community to “refrain from actions that affect the principal rights of a nation” and take necessary measures to “lift these coercive and unmanly sanctions.”

“Conscious ignorance of the scientific community to unmanly unilateral sanctions will deprive not only Iran but also the entire world from scientific achievements of humanity,” they noted.

Last year, President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, officially named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and unleashed the “toughest ever” sanctions against Tehran.

SS