Harmful unilateral sanctions only prolong humanitarian crisis, suffering in Syria: Iran’s envoy to UN

Iran’s permanent ambassador to the United Nations says imposing unilateral and harmful sanctions against Syria only prolongs the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country and suffering of its people.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi made the remarks in a Monday address to a UN Security Council session on the humanitarian situation in Syria, saying that while providing humanitarian aid to Syria is of high urgency, it cannot solve the country’s problem in the long run.

Iran’s envoy noted that imposition of unilateral sanctions on Syria is a detrimental act, which only worsens the crisis in a country that is already grappling with other difficulties, including the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Takht-Ravanchi said it is clear that some countries are using sanctions to attain the goals they have failed to achieve through military or political means.

Iran’s UN ambassador described imposition of sanctions on the supply of food and medicine as an unjust and unacceptable measure that threatens food security of a nation.

The main goal of sanctions is collective punishment of a nation, which in legal terms, amounts to blatant violation of the goals and principles of the United Nations and, therefore, must end immediately, the senior Iranian diplomat said.

He reiterated that the crisis in Syria has no military solution and the only way out of it is a peaceful solution based on the norms and principles of international law.

Takht-Ravanchi said stopping the armed conflict, assuring Syria’s full sovereignty and territorial integrity, removal of all unilateral sanctions, and avoiding of political handling of such humanitarian issues as reconstruction of Syria and the return of refugees and displaced people to their homes are major steps that can assure long-term resolution of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria.

He also reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to pursuing the political solution to Syria crisis and providing continued support to the people and government of Syria.

Over the past years, the US has been maintaining an illegal military presence on Syrian soil, collaborating with anti-Damascus militants and stealing the country’s crude oil resources.

It has slapped rounds of crippling sanctions on Syria, which has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011.

Parts of the restrictive measures have been imposed under the so-called Caesar Act, an American piece of legislation that alleges to support the Syrian people by protecting them against the Syrian administration’s way of governance.

The bans target almost all Syrian economic and trade activities, as well as the country’s government officials.

Earlier this month, the European Union also said it will renew sanctions against the Damascus government in May, alleging the foreign-backed conflict in the war-ravaged country is still far from a solution.

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has denounced the EU's recent declaration on the decade-long conflict in the war-torn Arab country, saying the bloc is responsible for the sufferings of Syrian people as it backs sanctions which amount to economic terrorism.

“The EU is liable for the miseries of Syrians and their carnage as it supports terrorism, and exercises economic terrorism [against Syria].  The EU is not in a position to advocate Syrians, and has no capacity to assume a positive role,” Syria’s official news agency SANA quoted an unnamed official at the ministry as saying in a statement.

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