In this picture released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei talks to clerics in his Islamic thoughts class in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday backed the government’s decision to raise gasoline prices and called angry protesters who have been setting fire to public property over the hike “thugs,” signaling a potential crackdown on the demonstrations. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
The Washington Free Beacon’s Adam Kredo reports that the nations of the European Union contributed €1 billion in humanitarian aid to help the Iranian people buy sorely needed medical supplies to fight the Chinese virus which has devastated the country. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Monday that the regime has stolen it.
Iran has been one of the most hardest hit countries. According to information released by the government, over 1,800 Iranians have died and over 23,000 have tested positive for the virus. It is believed the true figures are significantly higher. Pompeo explained that “the regime continues to lie to the Iranian people and the world about the number of cases and deaths, which are unfortunately far higher than the regime admits.”
Pompeo said, “Supreme leader [Ali] Khamenei’s fabrications regarding the Wuhan virus are dangerous and they put Iranians and people around the world at greater risk. Facts matter…Regime officials stole over a billion euros intended for medical supplies” and they “continue to hoard desperately needed masks, gloves, and other medical equipment for sale on the black market.”
Pompeo added that the government is telling their people that the coronavirus was developed by the Americans as a bioweapon and that the U.S. economic sanctions which have crippled their economy are intended “to prevent Iran from accessing medicine and humanitarian aid.” (Note: Sanctions do not apply to humanitarian aid.)
In a speech last week, Khamenei told his citizens, “You [the U.S.] cannot be trusted. If you send some doctor or healer, he might want to come here to check on the effects of the poison you created.”
Pompeo explained that one of the reasons Iran has been hit so hard by the coronavirus is that throughout February, “Iran’s chief terror airline, Mahan Air, ran at least 55 flights between Tehran and China, further infecting the Iranian people. At least five foreign countries’ first cases of coronavirus were directly imported from Iran, putting millions more lives at risk.”
A fact sheet available on the State Department’s website states:
Fact: The Iranian regime ignored repeated warnings from its own health officials, and denied its first death from the coronavirus for at least nine days. The regime continues to lie to the Iranian people and the world about the number of cases and deaths, which are unfortunately far higher than the regime admits.
Fact: As Iranian regime officials ask for more funds, it is important to note that since 2012, Iran has spent over $16 billion on terror abroad, and used sanctions relief from the JCPOA to fill up its proxies’ coffers. Regime officials stole over a billion Euros intended for medical supplies, and continue to hoard desperately needed masks, gloves, and other medical equipment for sale on the black market.
Fact: U.S. sanctions do not target imports of food, medicine and medical equipment, or other humanitarian goods. Iranian documents show their health companies have been able to import testing kits without obstacle from U.S. sanctions since January.
Fact: The United States has offered over $100 million in medical assistance to foreign countries, including to the Iranian people, and our scientists are working tirelessly to develop a vaccine. Khamenei rejected this offer because he works tirelessly to concoct conspiracy theories and prioritizes ideology over the Iranian people.
Why would the leaders of the EU countries ever trust the regime to do the right thing? They’ve just provided the evil and corrupt leaders of Iran with a financial lifeline at a time when they were at their most vulnerable and the Iranian people won’t see one penny of it. What in the world were they thinking?
Medical supplies should have been directly distributed, if possible, to the hospitals and clinics that are on the frontlines of the battle against the coronavirus.
This is a disgrace.