The US and its allies are facing increasing criticism at home where people question their governments' use of medical and food sanctions as a lever to pressure opponent countries, Vice-Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Energy Commission Nasser Soudani on Saturday.
Washington and its Western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations. Iran denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
Despite the rules enshrined in the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entitling every member state, including Iran, to the right of uranium enrichment, Tehran is now under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions and the unilateral western embargos for turning down West's calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment.
Tehran has dismissed the West's demand as politically tainted and illogical, stressing that sanctions and pressures merely consolidate Iranians' national resolve to continue the path.
Political observers believe that the United States has remained at loggerheads with Iran mainly over the independent and home-grown nature of Tehran's nuclear technology, which gives the Islamic Republic the potential to turn into a world power and a role model for the other third-world countries.
In November, an Iranian health official blasted the UN's passive approach to the US-led western sanctions against the supply of medicine and pharmaceutical products to Iran through financial restrictions, stressing that the measure violates international laws and codes of ethics.
Under pressure from the United States, the EU foreign ministers approved new sanctions against Iran's oil and financial sectors in January.
Both the US and EU allege that foodstuff and medicine have been exempted from restrictions, but the tough sanctions imposed on financial transactions with Iran have practically blocked Iranian companies' access to the international markets as they cannot pay for their purchases.
Iran produces almost all its medical needs, but has to import a major part of the raw materials needed for its pharmaceutical products.
In the same regard, Head of Iran's Medical Council Shahabeddin Sadr in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon lambasted the silence of the world body on the US-led western sanctions and restrictions against Tehran.
"The question is that based on which law, license or moral, religious or human norm and criterion, the evil power and arrogant countries ban the supply of medicine and basic health and medical needs for children, women and men of a country and why the United Nations which is chaired by your Excellency should keep mum about this issue," Sadr said.
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The sanctions engineered by the US and its Western allies against opponent countries are so unfair and illegal that they are even criticized and opposed by the people residing in the West, an Iranian legislator said.
News ID 183601
