Iran’s Foreign Ministry describes US blocking humanitarian aid to flood victims as Economic terrorism
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused the
United States of impeding aid efforts and “economic terrorism” as authorities
ordered the immediate evacuation of flood-stricken cities in western Iran.
US sanctions are “impeding aid efforts by
#IranianRedcrescent to all communities devastated by unprecedented floods,”
Zarif tweeted, referring to search and rescue operations being conducted after
huge rainfalls triggered vast flooding.
Sanctions unilaterally imposed by Washington have
hindered efforts to provide relief to Iranians affected by a series of deadly
floods, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has claimed, describing US posturing as
“economic terrorism.”
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on
Monday that the US’ decision to block bank accounts belonging to Iran’s Red
Crescent has prevented donations from abroad from reaching Iranians who are in
desperate need of aid.
At least 45 people have died in the past two weeks
after torrential downpours in Iran resulted in 23 of the country’s 31 provinces
being hit by floods. With more flooding expected in Iran’s southwest province
of Khuzestan, Tehran’s appeals for international assistance have been hampered
by US efforts to cut the country off from the global economy.
Tehran’s anger over the sanctions is far from
unfounded: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) signaled last week that it was prepared to offer help to Iran,
but US sanctions could place restrictions on the UN response.
Tehran has ordered the evacuation of 70 villages in
Iran’s southwest, amid fears of more flooding to come.
US President Donald Trump re-imposed sanctions on
Tehran after pulling the US out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which provided
sanctions relief in exchange for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The unilateral decision has strained Washington’s relations with its
transatlantic allies, who invested heavily in Iran’s reintegration into global
markets and confirmed that Tehran still played by the rules.
