Iran Press/Iran news: Speaking to journalists and media on Wednesday, Bahram Ghasemi emphasized that the Europeans first came up with the idea of an independent financial mechanism, known as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), for doing business with Iran.
According to Iran Press, Ghasemi added: "Clearly the Europeans don't want Iran to withdraw from the JCPOA. We had hoped that by now, the independent financial mechanism (SPV) would be fully operational, but this hasn't happened principally because US pressure on Europe, particularly on European companies, European banks and financial institutions, has created some problems for the Europeans."
Turning to the issue of US sanctioning essential items such as food and medicines, the foreign ministry spokesman said: "Given our experience over the past four decades with unfair and unilateral US sanctions, we know exactly what to do to lessen the effect of sanctions, and we have stock up on all essential items, and our warehouses are full of essential food items, medicines, aircraft components and spare parts, etc."
Bahram Ghasemi added: "American officials had announced earlier that sanctions do not apply to essential items such as food and medicines, but this is highly misleading, dishonest and fraudulent, since the Trump administration has in practice stopped the flow of medicines and medical equipment into Iran, effectively cutting-off this essential humanitarian item."
The head of Iran's Red Crescent Society (IRCS) Ali Asghar Peivandi has said US sanctions that target humanitarian items such as food and medicine, are definitely targeting the Iranian people.
"Sanctions imposed on Iran by the enemies of the country are not limited to the present time. The sanctions have been going on for forty years," Ali Asghar Peivandi said on Tuesday.
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US targets Iranians by choking off medicine and food imports: IRCS Head
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on 10 November that US sanctions are targeting the Iranian people, and that the sanctions are meant to negatively affect the lives of ordinary Iranians.
US President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the nuclear agreement in May and reintroduced the first round of sanctions on Iran in August.
The second round of sanctions, including against the Iranian oil industry, came into effect on November 5. 101/211
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