Two weeks of heavy rain has led to mass flooding in Iran, and
humanitarian aid from abroad has been severely limited. According to
Iranian FM Javad Zarif, and some other officials, that aid is being slowed by US sanctions.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claims that is just the Iran regime “blaming outside entities”
when he believes that Iran is fully to blame “for this disaster.” In
theory, US sanctions aren’t supposed to limit humanitarian aid.
In practice, however, US sanctions have routinely limited humanitarian
aid, and even if Pompeo dismisses Zarif as a liar, he’s also going to
have to explain how many other nations, including France and Britain,
were openly offering assistance before concerns about the sanctions were
risen, and then all such offers started to dry up.
Iran has flooding in 26 of its 31 provinces, and has roughly 20 rescue
helicopters. Getting more helicopters into the country is the most
immediate priority, and one that US sanctions have made all but
impossible, even with nations, NGOs, and international bodies all having
helicopters that they are willing to offer.
Iran is going to end up making its own helos before it’s all said and done, I bet.
C’mon Iran, we might be trying to starve you and destroy your economy but why would you think we would have anything to do with impeding any flood relief from entering your country? Plus our SOS has an opened bible in his office so you know he is beyond reproach and what he says is the undisputed truth.
What a disgrace…..how low can a country sink.
The US has moved to block international humanitarian aid to those affected by flood.
Iranians living abroad are not able to send their aid to their fellow people due to Washington’s sanctions.
The US has frozen the accounts of the Iranian Red Crescent Society as part of its sanctions against the Iranian people, thus preventing other countries from sending humanitarian aid to people in Iran’s flood-stricken areas.