US Sanctions on Iran's Medicine should be lifted without delay

Speaking with ILNA news agency in an exclusive interview, the US professor confirmed “An October 2019 Human Rights Watch report indeed confirmed that sanctions were adversely affecting Iranians' access to vital medicines. Sanctions on medicines, medical equipment and other life-saving basic necessities -- whether they have been imposed on such items intentionally or not -- should be lifted without delay.”

Referring to the spread of the coronavirus in Iran, he added that this is not just a moral, humanitarian imperative but a practical necessity given the need to arrest the spread of the disease within and from Iran.

Answering to questions about what is solution to improve relation between Iran and US, Calabrese said “At this point, the U.S. and Iranian governments are preoccupied with the most serious public health crisis in generations. As important as the status and future of the bilateral relationship is, working to improve it is not a priority at this moment -- at least not in Washington."

He pointed to the Europe's mediation efforts to resolve the Persian Gulf Crisis and said “Thus far, however, European leaders have not managed to persuade Washington to change course. It is not clear that we can expect them suddenly and soon to succeed in doing so. This leaves Iranian leaders with few."

The Political science professor confirmed that US Maximum Pressure’ policy change Iran's behavior in accordance with U.S. preferences; adding that it has also not succeeded in inducing a negotiation on Washington's terms (i.e., on the basis of the preconditions laid out by Secretary of State Pompeo).

“Nor has it been successful in indirectly contributing to "regime change" in Tehran -- as some American officials no doubt desire,” he said.

“The "maximum pressure" campaign has inflicted "pain" at comparatively low cost to the U.S. Trump officials' calculation might be that the U.S. has the leverage to continue the policy indefinitely.”

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