Cuba, Iran Discuss Jointly Countering U.S. Sanctions

Date: 14 May 2022 - 22:09

News ID: ۱۰۲۵۵۸

TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign

Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian on Saturday hit out at broad and unilateral U.S. sanctions against Iran and Cuba, saying the two countries should make use of their experience to counter the bans.

Amir-Abdollahian met Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, who is in Tehran to take part in the 18th session of the Iran-Cuba joint economic committee.

The Iranian foreign minister described Cuba as a strategic partner for the Islamic Republic and called for improvement of bilateral cooperation in various fields.

He said their joint economic committee would provide the two countries with an appropriate opportunity to discuss ways to enhance economic and trade relations and political cooperation.

Tehran and Havana also enjoy a proper level of cooperation on health and treatment, particularly the joint production of COVID-19 vaccine, Amir-Abdollahian said, emphasizing that the Iranian administration is determined to implement previous agreements and sign new contracts with Cuba.

Cabrisas, for his part, hailed Iran’s constant support for Cuba in the face of the U.S. sanctions.

He said their economic committee would help the two countries boost strategic relations to serve their common interests.

Last month, Cuban Ambassador to Tehran Alberto González Casals hailed his country’s “best” cooperation with Iran not only in the production of vaccines against COVID-19 but in biotechnology and many other fields.

“We are in the best conditions to cooperate with the Iranian counterpart not only for vaccines…but in many ways in biotechnology. Biotech is important for us. We have excellent scientific people like Iran has and we find proper ways to cooperate in both things,” González told Press TV.

The U.S. has maintained a harsh economic, financial, and commercial embargo against Cuba for more than 60 years. Numerous resolutions by the United Nations General Assembly have indicated that the blockade is against international law. However, Washington has consistently voted against UN resolutions demanding an end to the sanctions against Cuba.

U.S. President Joe Biden vowed during his campaign to reverse some of his predecessor Donald Trump’s Cuba measures that “have inflicted harm on the Cuban people and done nothing to advance democracy and human rights,” but has yet to make good on that pledge.

Iran has also been targeted by U.S. unilateral sanctions in contravention of international law.

Back in May 2018, the U.S. began to unilaterally impose sanctions against Iran after the former left the 2015 Iran agreement, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The U.S., under former president Donald Trump, launched what it called a maximum pressure campaign against Iran at the time, targeting the Iranian nation with the “toughest ever” sanctions.

Back in July, Iran denounced the U.S. and some other Western countries for interfering in Cuba’s internal affairs, urging Washington to immediately end its unilateral sanctions against Havana and other nations.

“For more than six decades, Cuba has been facing extensive U.S. sanctions which have complicated the country’s economy and living conditions of its people, especially at the time of the coronavirus pandemic,” Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said.