While vaccination against Covid-19 has already started in some countries, Iranians still have no visibility on the type of vaccine that will be offered to them, or on a vaccination schedule. Panicked and outraged, many of them took to social networks to protest against the authorities’ management of vaccination and urge them to redouble their efforts, under the hashtag # Buy-vaccine. Iranians are all the more worried as the Islamic Republic is the country most affected by the epidemic in the Middle East. According to official figures, as of December 25, Iran had recorded 54,440 victims, a figure that doctors consulted by The world deem underestimated.
The contradictory statements of the authorities, indicative of the politicization of the management of the epidemic, reinforce these concerns. On December 24, after weeks of confusion, Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati announced that “Preliminary agreement” was given to Iran to transfer the foreign currency needed to purchase the Covid-19 vaccine, including through Covax, the initiative coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) to facilitate poor countries’ access to vaccine. Until then, Iranian leaders invoked US sanctions to justify their procrastination. Reimposed on Tehran since Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018, these sanctions make banking transactions between Iran and the world nearly impossible.
It remains to be seen whether Iran will be able to pay for its participation in Covax and obtain vaccines. Because, if the agreement was indeed given by the United States in Tehran to buy vaccines through the Covax, Mr. Hemmati did not rule out that Washington revokes this authorization and blocks Iranian funds. A fear “Justified”, according to an expert on Iranian issues at the United Nations who prefers to remain anonymous. “Iranians need another, more specific license for the banking transaction, explains this expert. The United States is unlikely to block Iranian funds for the purchase of the vaccine. But, given the aggressive behavior of the United States towards Tehran, the Iranians are right not to be reassured. “
Payment problem
Tehran could also have difficulty in transferring the funds necessary to purchase the vaccine, according to some officials close to the government of President Hassan Rouhani, due to the reluctance of the hard wing within the regime to join the Action Group. Financial (FATF), an intergovernmental body fighting against money laundering and terrorist financing. “As Iran is on the FATF blacklist, it was impossible for it to make the payment for the purchase of vaccines via Covax and therefore its quota was canceled”, said on Twitter the former deputy Ali Motahari, close to President Rouhani, on December 22. The conservative opponents of the Head of State, who refuse any “retreat” from the West, refute any link between the FATF blacklist and the purchase of the vaccine.
You have 47.04% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
