{"id":6297,"date":"2021-01-08T10:30:48","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T10:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=147657"},"modified":"2021-01-08T10:30:48","modified_gmt":"2021-01-08T10:30:48","slug":"irans-khamenei-bans-imports-of-u-s-british-coronavirus-vaccines-due-to-trust-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/01\/08\/irans-khamenei-bans-imports-of-u-s-british-coronavirus-vaccines-due-to-trust-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran’s Khamenei Bans Imports Of U.S., British Coronavirus Vaccines Due To ‘Trust’ Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has announced a ban on imports of U.S. and British coronavirus vaccines, saying he does not \u201ctrust\u201d the two countries.<\/p>\n
“Imports of U.S. and British vaccines into the country are forbidden. I have told this to officials and I’m saying it publicly now,” Khamenei, who has the last say on all matters in his country, said in a live televised speech on January 8.<\/p>\n
U.S. firms Pfizer and Moderna, as well as Britain’s AstraZeneca, have developed coronavirus vaccines. Other countries, including Russia and China, have developed their own vaccines.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really do not trust\u201d the United States and Britain, he said, adding: “Sometimes they want to test\u201d their vaccines on other countries.<\/p>\n
Khamenei said Iran could obtain vaccines from \u201cother reliable places\u201d and praised the country’s own efforts to develop domestic COVID-19 vaccines.<\/p>\n
Iran, the country worst hit by the pandemic in the Middle East, has reported more than 1.2 million COVID-19 cases, with nearly 56,000 deaths. Analysts have questioned the accuracy of those numbers, with many saying they think the real figures could be substantially higher.<\/p>\n
The country last month launched human trials of a domestic vaccine candidate, saying it could help in the defeat of the epidemic given U.S. sanctions that affect its ability to import vaccines.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Iran\u2019s central bank chief Abdolnaser Hemmati said Tehran had paid around $244 million for initial imports of 16.8 million doses of vaccines<\/a> from COVAX, a global COVID-19 vaccine allocation plan led by the World Health Organization (WHO).<\/p>\n However, Iranian officials say the country has yet to receive any shipments so far.<\/p>\nWith reporting by AP and Reuters<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n