President Approves COVID Vaccine Imports by Iran’s Private Sector

In comments at a Saturday meeting of the Coronavirus Fight National Headquarters, Raisi urged that the imports of vaccine for the coronavirus should not be delayed at all.

Stressing the need to take up every option for the vaccine imports, the president said the Iranian private sector’s import of vaccines must be facilitated in compliance with the Health Ministry’s standards.

No delay in the course of imports of reliable vaccines would be acceptable, he underlined, calling for the rapid settlement of the possible problems impeding the imports of vaccine.

Last week, Raisi said plans have been finalized to import 30 million doses of vaccine for the coronavirus.

In a televised speech on August 11, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei referred to the unreliability of Western governments regarding the sale of coronavirus vaccines to Iran, saying, “The administration and the Ministry of Health had purchased vaccines from certain places and certain countries and through the COVAX. They even paid for it, but the Western sides broke their promises. However, after the arrival of our own vaccine into the market and after the people began to use them, the importation issue improved as well. In other words, the path was cleared.”

The Leader also stressed the need for intensified efforts for both the importation of vaccines and for their domestic manufacture, adding, “They should provide the people with the vaccine in whatever way possible. Millions of vaccines should become available.”