Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei bans COVID-19 vaccine import from US and UK

Iranian Supreme Leer Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday said that his country will t import COVID-19 vaccines from United States and Britain, citing trust issues. Khamenei, during a televised speech, said that import of COVID-19 vaccines from US and UK are forbidden, calling m "untrustworthy". Khamenei furr highlighted HIV contaminated blood supplies from France in 1980s to justify Tehran's decision. 

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Iran is one of worst affected countries in world with over 1.2 million cases and 56,000 COVID-19 deaths so far. Iran's decision to t import vaccines from United States and Britain is also outcome of deteriorating relations between Tehran and West, which has only worsened since President Donald Trump's White House takeover in 2017. According to Guardian, Khamenei also ded that Iran is in hurry in renegotiating 2015 nuclear deal with new Biden ministration as he mocked recent Capitol Hill riots in Washington DC. 

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'Iran will think of restarting talks if sanctions lifted' 

Khamenei said that if United States decides to lift ecomic sanctions from Iran, his country would think of restarting talks with Washington. issue of compensation for sanctions could be taken up in future. This comes days after Trump ministration imposed fresh sanctions on Iran, targetting key steel sector, which Washington said was helping fund "corrupt regime" in Tehran and ir ambition to develop weapons of mass destruction. 

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As far as vaccines are concerned, Iran is developing its own COVID-19 treatment. Human trials have been launched by country in December 2020. Experts also suggest that for time, Iran may procure COVID-19 vaccine from China, which has developed Coronavac drug with help of state-run pharmaceutical company Sipharm and is said to be 70 per cent effective.