US continues sanctions on Iran during COVID-19 pandemic
President Trump imposes new sanctions against Iran during coronavirus pandemic, despite international condemnation.
Hospitals in Iran lack access to the materials required to contain the outbreak of COVID-19. According to an article in Reuters on March 20, Iranian citizens are dying from the novel coronavirus every 10 minutes; and 50 are becoming infected every hour.
“There is only one word to describe such behavior: ‘sociopathic,’ journalist Mehdi Hasan wrote in a March 17 article on the news website The Intercept.
For years, unilateral sanctions on the country have heavily discouraged neighboring states from trading with Iran and prevented citizens from access to food and medicine.
There is only one word to describe such behavior: sociopathic
— Mehdi Hasan
Even though the United States said the sanctions do not affect food and medicine, it is difficult to make transactions to acquire them because the funds required for purchase of said items is blocked from use.
According to an article written April 2019 in The Guardian, companies are heavily fined upon breaching sanctions with Iran — heavily disincentivizing transactions.
The United States is no stranger to meddling in the affairs of other countries, but one targeted most often is Iran. 1953 saw the CIA-led overthrow of Mohammad Mosaddegh, the democratically elected prime minister who was preparing to nationalize oil reserves within the country.
This was a massive threat to American and British revenues, and they could not tolerate such behavior.
Since then, America has constantly pressured Iran in the hope that it would not be able to defend itself. Now is no exception.
“Those who want to be free to use force,” said Noam Chomsky on April 4, 2017, on Democracy Now, referring to American intervention, “are deeply concerned about a potential deterrent.”
Chomsky explained that Iran’s strategy is to be able to deter attacks and hold off aggression until diplomacy cools tensions. This deeply angers the United States, who wish to be capable of command through force whenever necessary.
Contact your representatives in the House of Representatives and the Senate to call on Trump to lift the sanctions on Iran.
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