Iran bans import of western vaccines

In Iran, the “resistance” to imperialism extends to the fight against the epidemic linked to Covid-19. “It is forbidden to import vaccines made in the United States and the United Kingdom”, ordered, on January 8, the Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. “If the Americans had succeeded in producing a vaccine [efficace], this disaster linked to the coronavirus would not have taken place in their country where 4,000 people died in one day, he said during a speech broadcast live on Iranian television, referring to the record of the day before in the United States. Either way, we don’t trust [en eux] and moreover, sometimes these vaccines are used to infect peoples. ” These statements, then repeated on the Guide’s Twitter feed, were deleted by this social network, which considered that the Tweet violated its rules.

On social networks, many Iranians have expressed their dissatisfaction, despite the risks they run

Ali Khamenei thus put an end to the import into Iran of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines, launched or about to be launched in Europe and the United States. This while Iran remains the country most affected by the epidemic in the Middle East, with 56,457 victims as of January 13, according to official statistics, certainly underestimated.

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Shortly after this announcement, the Iranian authorities were quick to show their support for the new directive. The Iranian Red Crescent announced on the same day that the shipment to Iran of 150,000 doses of the American vaccine Pfizer-BioNTech – a donation from Iranians living in the United States – was canceled. Conservative politicians have spoken of “Biological warfare” that the West intends to fight against the Iranians with their vaccines; others applauded the Supreme Leader, referring to the microchip introduced into these products made in the West to be able to trace the Iranians. Still others have raised the threat of a “Modification of Iranian genes” after inoculation with western vaccines.

Agreement with Havana

Iran’s scope for purchasing vaccines is shrinking. The partnerships he forges conform to his anti-imperialist line. An agreement was signed with Havana on January 8 to carry out in Iran the third phase of clinical trials of the Cuban vaccine Soberana 02. The number of Covid-19 patients in Iran offers a larger sample for the trials than in Cuba, which remains relatively untouched by the epidemic. Iran is currently in negotiations with China to import its Sinovac vaccine, as well as with Russia, for production in Iran of its Sputnik V vaccine, according to a report by the presidency’s Iranian Center for Strategic Research. .

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