The US Treasury Department on 25 October said it has established a new “mechanism” that in practice will hinder Iran’s purchase of food and medicine.

Iran Press/America: “This new humanitarian mechanism will help international companies that seek to engage in permissible humanitarian trade with Iran to ensure that they do not run afoul of sanctions,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin claimed.

The mechanism will be developed by Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The agency said the mechanism is necessary since Iran has been identified as a “jurisdiction of primary money-laundering concern” under the 2001 USA Patriot Act, AP reported.

The US administration has imposed sweeping sanctions on Iran and claims that it makes exceptions for food, medicine, and other humanitarian goods, but most companies are unwilling to do any trade with Iran for fear of repercussions in the United States.

Addressing a UN committee in New York on October 23, Javaid Rehman, the UN’s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, said U.S. sanctions were wreaking havoc on the lives of ordinary Iranians.

Brian Hook, the Trump administration’s special representative to Iran, says food and medical imports are exempt from sanctions. A lack of access to global markets, however, has led to shortages of some medical supplies, Rehman said. 101/211

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US targets Iranians by choking off medicine and food imports: IRCS Head