The US has given a special permit to Iran to make an international transfer of funds to a bank in Switzerland in favor of purchasing vaccines against Corona.
“The Americans have imposed sanctions on all our banks. They have agreed to help in this case with the pressure of world public opinion,” Central Bank Governor Abdulanzer Hemati told state television today (Thursday).
More than 50,000 dead from corona in Iran // Photo: Reuters
He noted that Iran would pay about $ 244 million for the initial import of 16.8 million vaccine packets from COVAX, a World Health Organization agency that aims to ensure that vaccines reach low- and middle-income countries as well. Iranian officials have repeatedly said that US sanctions prevent them from paying COVAX.
Meanwhile, the Iranian company Shifa Pramed has begun the human trials phase of developing the local vaccine for corona. It is a subsidiary of a large concern, controlled by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
An Iranian health ministry spokeswoman told state television earlier that 152 people had died from the virus in the past day, the lowest figure since September 18. The cumulative death toll from the outbreak stands at 54,308, making Iran the country with the highest mortality rate from its corona in the Middle East. State officials have warned of an increase in the number of cases.
The decline in the death toll comes after more than a month of night curfews and other restrictions in major cities. Iranian police said yesterday that 96,000 fines were issued nationwide for drivers who violated curfew guidelines.