IRAN ALLOTS 200M EUROS FOR COVID VACCINES

Iran has provided 200 million euros (244 million dollars) for the import of coronavirus vaccines, central bank chief Abdolnaser Hemmati announced.

"We are in direct contact with the Ministry of Health ... if necessary, the amount will also be increased," Hemmati wrote on his Instagram page. Because of the US sanctions on Iran, the import of the vaccines is not yet guaranteed.

There have been over 54,000 coronavirus-related deaths and more than 1 million infections in Iran since the pandemic broke out in late February. The sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump have also raised obstacles.

"When we talk about importing vaccines, we curse 100 times this Trump, who doesn't even care about people's health," President Hassan Rowhani said.

"The vaccine could have been imported with a short phone call, but there are numerous hurdles because of the sanctions," Rowhani said, but promised Iranians that his government would find a way to make the vaccines available to them on time.

After unilaterally withdrawing from the Vienna nuclear deal in 2018, the US government imposed what it claims to be the toughest sanctions on Iran, also affecting the country's international banking connections.

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