Iran Raps US for Freezing Bank Accounts, Impeding Flood Relief Aid
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said the foreign citizen and Iranian nationals living abroad are unable to send any relief aid to flood-hit people in Iran due to the US move to freeze all bank accounts of the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
In an interview on Tuesday, Bahram Qassemi said the US move, adopted on the anniversary of Washington’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, reveals the anti-people nature of the American officials’ approach towards Iranians and counters their hollow and ridiculous claims that the sanctions don’t target Iranians and serve their interests.
The spokesman said usually, even in difficult and emergency conditions, not all banking systems are blocked and the dispatch of humanitarian aid is possible through bodies such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to the Foreign Ministry’s website.
“However, in an inhumane and brutal move, the US has decided to block all channels for delivering aid to the flood-hit people of Iran,” he noted.
Qassemi also said aid bodies like the Red Cross Committee and the Red Crescent Society have announced over the past days that they are incapable of dispatching their aid to Iran’s Red Crescent.
“It seems that the US is seeking to block humanitarian aid to the flood-hit Iranians,” he underlined.
The spokesman also said the world community and international aid bodies should stand against the brutal move of the US.
He then referred to the huge damages inflicted on the flood-hit people in various provinces, saying the domestic aid bodies as well as Iranian people are seeking to alleviate the inflicted damages but no tangible foreign aid has been received yet as there is no channel to dispatch them.
Qassemi underlined that it is up to the international bodies to adopt an immediate measure in this regard particularly amid the current emergency situation in which there are some tangible shortcoming in terms of rescue helicopters and technical means.
He said the US should be held accountable for the consequences of its move to block aid to the flood-hit areas of Iran.
He also noted that the brave and selfless Iranians will survive such incidents and their damages through their philanthropic spirit and by establishing cooperation among themselves and with the government.
Qassemi underlined that the world and time will judge on those who have misused people’s lives as a political leverage to achieve their unholy goals.
