On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted that the United States might consider easing sanctions on Iran and other countries to help fight the Corona virus, but he has not given any concrete indication that his country is planning to do so.
The remarks reflected a shift in the tone of the US State Department, which has been heavily criticized for its tough approach to sanctions relief, even as the United Nations Secretary-General calls for it to be reduced.
Speaking to reporters, Pompeo stressed that humanitarian and medical supplies are exempt from sanctions imposed by Washington on Tehran after the United States withdrew from the agreement concluded in 2015 to reduce Tehran's nuclear program.
Despite this, the wider US sanctions deter many companies from trading in humanitarian items with Iran, which is one of the countries hardest hit by the Corona epidemic.
Asked if it was possible at some point that the United States would re-evaluate its position on sanctions relief, Pompeo told a news conference, "We are constantly assessing all of our policies. So the answer is, will we rethink? Of course."
When asked about such easing on March 20, Pompeo was content to say that US sanctions do not apply to medical supplies and other humanitarian goods, and the Trump administration is pursuing a policy of "extreme pressure" in an attempt to force Iran to curb its nuclear, missile and regional activities.
On Tuesday, the UN's right to food, Hilal Elver, called for the lifting of international sanctions against countries such as Iran, North Korea and Venezuela to ensure food supplies reach the hungry people during the Corona pandemic.
"The continued imposition of economic sanctions on Syria, Venezuela, Iran and Cuba and to a lesser extent on Zimbabwe, to name a few, greatly undermines the basic right of ordinary citizens to have access to adequate and adequate food," she said in a statement.