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Severe and chronic patients in Iran are being pushed to the brink as U.S. sanctions and the resulting soaring inflation lead to severe medicine shortages, CNN reported on the 20th (local time).
Iranian residents interviewed by CNN lamented that amid severe drug shortages and daily rising medicine prices, patients have no choice but to reduce their dosages, delay doctor visits, or even resort to self-treatment.
Sima, a resident of Tehran, told the broadcaster, "We have been told that (hospitals) have stopped administering cancer treatments to patients in the late stages of cancer or whose conditions have progressed severely," adding, "Drugs are practically being given only to patients in the very early stages."
CNN reported that as the Iranian government failed to secure vaccines from Europe, this year's seasonal flu vaccination drive was also canceled, and cancer patients are selling household appliances to buy exorbitantly expensive drugs.
A 55-year-old cancer patient told CNN in a phone interview, "I am asking people coming from abroad if they can bring me some of my medications, especially the ones we cannot find here," and added, "I don't know what to do between the battle with the illness and the uncertainty."
At local Iranian pharmacies contacted by CNN, heart disease medications have been replaced with domestic generic drugs, and migraine medications have completely vanished from the shelves.
Iranian media outlets are also reporting that a wide range of products, including antidepressants, insulin, and pregnancy-related medications, are in short supply.
Shahram Kalantaripour, head of the Iranian Pharmacists Association, pointed out during a press conference last month that some 800 types of drugs are in shortage and pharmacies cannot even secure alternatives due to skyrocketing prices.
This humanitarian crisis is a direct result of the "maximum pressure" policy against Iran by the Donald Trump U.S. administration.
Iranian banks responsible for paying for imported medicines have been brought under the scope of sanctions, and Iran's primary source of foreign currency revenue, oil exports, has been cut off.
The Iran Food and Drug Administration stated that 97 percent of the required medical products are manufactured domestically, but raw materials, equipment, and technology must rely on imports, and some specialized medicines must be imported, CNN noted.
Iranian officials reported that as private health insurance companies have stopped paying out claims, pharmacies are unable to restock their inventories, and patients are paying the full price of medicines out of pocket.
While the Iranian government is struggling to achieve self-sufficiency in medicines critical to citizens' lives, it has suffered heavy blows after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes destroyed more than 40 pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, pharmaceutical equipment suppliers, and distributors.
The United States maintains that humanitarian goods, including medical products, food, and agricultural goods, are exempt from sanctions, but has added several "safeguards" to prevent these goods from being used for "malicious purposes."
The U.S. placed the Central Bank of Iran under sanctions in 2019 and demanded that foreign governments and organizations wishing to export humanitarian goods to Iran submit buyer information and written pledges ensuring they will not be resold to sanctioned targets.
Last week, the U.S. announced the adoption of a "presumed denial" stance regarding specific licenses for transactions with Iran, meaning it will adopt a policy of virtually outright rejection unless special exceptions apply, and review applications on a case-by-case basis.
Although it officially claims not to sanction humanitarian goods, the actual administrative procedures for issuing licenses have been shifted to presumed denial to block foreign companies from approaching Iran.
Another reason for the medicine shortages is that while major Iranian pharmaceutical companies are not subject to U.S. sanctions, some are linked to sanctioned religious foundations or corporations, making foreign companies hesitant to engage in transactions.
Erich Ferrari, an expert on sanctions implementation and enforcement, pointed out to CNN that "'over-compliance' is also a problem," noting that banks or trading companies may simply judge that certain transactions (with Iran) are too risky.
Because foreign banks do not clearly know who the trading parties in Iran are, how funds are flowing, or where the money originates, they choose to abandon transactions altogether.
"Given how harsh the sanctions are, it is truly a wonder that Iranians have managed to survive until now," Ferrari said.
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