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ABC News anchor David Muir and his team have traveled to Iran for a special Inside Iran report from the streets of Tehran, revealing the effects of Washington’s tightening sanctions on the country.
Today, we went in search of one of the biggest pharmacies in central Tehran, after hearing that life-saving medicine was running out.
“Right now, we are running low on every kind of medicine,” said Dr. Kheirollah Gholami, who runs the pharmacy.
He pointed straight to the ever-tightening U.S. sanctions, which are meant to force Iran’s leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to change course on their nuclear program.
Those sanctions are affecting everyone because the money flowing in and out of Iran is nearly frozen.
“When I can’t pay you, how can you send the medicine to me?” Gholami said. He said that even though food and medicine were exempt from U.S. sanctions, it was a “Catch-22.”
Cameras are rarely allowed free reign in Iran but Gholami let ABC News inside the pharmacy.
e Image credit: ABC News
Immediately we saw lines as we snaked our way behind the counter. In the back, we found that the pharmacy was low on many medications and had run out of several cancer drugs.
Gholami said that 40 people today had sought one particular cancer drug.
“If we don’t have,” he said. “Nothing.”
One man showed us a prescription for a loved one with leukemia. He had taken a cab from two hours away. Because of skyrocketing inflation here, we calculated that the ride had cost him more than $500.
He said he had been to more than 20 pharmacies before arriving at Gholami’s. When he reached the counter’s window, though, he was told to come back Saturday.
The U.S. Treasury’s spokesperson said today that the U.S. did not sanction medicine and that this was Iranian spin.
“U.S. sanctions have never targeted Iranian humanitarian imports, including medicine. We have been very clear about this and we have seen that payment channels for these types of goods remain open and available,” the spokesperson said. “The real problem concerning medical supplies in Iran seems to stem from the fact that the Iranian government has not allocated the money necessary for certain types of medical purchases, which is likely causing a shortage in some areas of the country. This was pointed out by the former Iranian health minister in December before she was promptly removed from her post.”
In a new report from UN inspectors today, they said that they’d discovered new centrifuges at one of Iran’s main nuclear sites, allowing the country to speed up the process to nuclear weapons.
The State Department responded, calling the findings “further escalation” and “another provocative step” — all just days before Iran is expected to return to the nuclear negotiating table with the United States and others Tuesday in Almaty, Kazakhstan, for the first time since talks collapsed eight months ago.
Iran denies an intention to build nuclear weapons.
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Beginning to believe you think the bad guys in the Iranian suffering are (once again) American .policies. We are making the citizens suffer because of our sanctions against a government that is building nuclear weapons. I’m a liberal but not naive. When do you ask the Iranians tough questions about how they are going to change their situation? When are they going to start challenging their rulers? When do the citizens of Iran start taking responsibility for their situation? What is their ownership in the solution to their problem? It seems to me, from your reporting, that it is America’s problem that the citizens of Iran are suffering, because we are the bad guys for imposing sanctions. Does American international policy ever get it right or are we the cause for suffering or happiness worldwide? When do we ask citizens of a country in turmoil to take responsibility and stand up for their rights – whatever they choose them to be? Is it because they are so afraid of the tyrannical rulers they have put in power- they are afraid so they blame us? Let’s get real folks – we’re not perfect as a democracy but we’re not to blame for the world’s problems. Let’s start challenging other countries responsibility for world “health”.
Posted by: RR | February 21, 2013, 8:18 pm 8:18 pm
Clearly the above poster knows nothing of what happened when Iran had its last election and the protests afterward….
Posted by: ? | February 21, 2013, 8:57 pm 8:57 pm
In the US foreign policy in the Moslem world has always been a disaster. We preach morality and democrAcy while we. Support dictatorships and terrorist groups like Saudi Arabia. And opposition forces in Bahrain who murderchristians and other noMoslems. I knowthe Iranian m3mentality. They are extremely nationalistic and the government will use this to show the brutality and hypocrIsy of the west. Why do u think they allowed the reporters to go in. The Moslem world will see this and hate us even more.
Letting old and the Sikh and children die because of politics is inhuman. That is not our democracy but did we really expect anything else Cromwell an Arab_supporter Obama.?
Posted by: lisa | February 21, 2013, 9:08 pm 9:08 pm
so all of a sudden, ABC can take a camera into Iran? how naive can you be? have you been listening for the last two years? is this news? or are u just stupid?
Posted by: joe samueliam | February 21, 2013, 9:18 pm 9:18 pm
listening to report again, he leads with the UN report? ok ,that is new news! And discovering that the Iranian currency has plummeted and liquidity is desperate ( he must have looked on Bloomberg), he realizes that this is a difficult situation? go back to school, a real school, and learn some real things. naif. idiot.
Posted by: joe samueliam | February 21, 2013, 10:23 pm 10:23 pm
Obama is a cruel, heartless man.
Posted by: Markybenn | February 21, 2013, 10:23 pm 10:23 pm
They would rather produce nuclear weapons than provide for their citizens. They constantly threaten world peace and have been know to create many problems in the world. They threaten the destruction of Israel and call the west many names and also for our destruction. Their fanatic religious beliefs and worshiping false gods in their Mohammed clearly shows they cannot be trusted. They prohibit religious intolerance suppress their woman and their peoples rights as well as obstruct their citizens to free elections. etc.,etc.,etc…..
Posted by: paku | February 21, 2013, 10:27 pm 10:27 pm
To the Government of Iran: Please, please, please ignore the legitimate demands of the rest of the world and continue on your present obstinate course regarding your nuclear program. That way the world will have a good excuse to attack you, overthrow your disgusting regime, and free the Iranian people and the rest of the world from your fanaticism and tyranny.
To the People of Iran: as an American I can honestly tell you that I myself, nor anyone I personally know, have any ill-will toward you (except for the psychopaths that chant slogans like “Death to America”, “Death to Britain”, “Death to Israel”, or the like). We’re all human beings, we all share this one planet, and none of us is going anywhere, so we might as well all learn to get along and enjoy the ride together. Please support the brave members of your Green movement and their leaders, so that you can achieve a government that is more deserving of you and your long, esteemed heritage. And please take any actions necessary to pressure your government to listen to the pleas of the rest of the world to suspend your nuclear program until the IAEA can certify that the program is strictly for peaceful purposes, so that the other countries of the world have no reason to continue to sanction you, eventually attack you, and cause you more unnecessary misery. When a new, more reasonable government takes over in Iran, I’m sure the United States, and the rest of the world, can work with Iran to settle the issues we disagree on, so that our world can be a little more peaceful. And for the issues we all can’t settle, maybe we can agree to disagree, and be just a little friendlier.
Posted by: rob | February 21, 2013, 10:49 pm 10:49 pm
iranian govt mismanages many things and i believe that the lack of medicine in the country is their responsibility…however sanction do hurt ordinary iranian indirectly as iranian officials try to circumvent financial transaction but fail to correctly implement their objectives….in the end iranian people are the biggest losers as politicians in both countries win out
and it has always been the plan of the West to make sure Iran does not become a great power…regardless of what regime is in tehran. 1953 coup, and 1979 revolution and the war that followed afterwards.
Posted by: Amir | February 21, 2013, 11:15 pm 11:15 pm
They know who to blame but if they blame them, the government would kill them. Have you figured it out yet. The GOVERNMENT’S to blame!
Posted by: Arya | February 22, 2013, 2:37 am 2:37 am
Jews jews jews…lies lies lies…wars wars wars. People, Iran already announced this months ago, and it was announced by the state funded PressTV.com. Now our jewish controlled media is trying to make it sound like this is a “new discovery” by “the UN”.
Aimed at “Iran’s leaders”…you war-jews really do make me laugh…I think that is the only reason I look at ABC, Jew York Times, CNN, BBC, MSNBC, Slate etc etc etc…
Posted by: Ron | February 22, 2013, 2:58 am 2:58 am
politically speaking, when two elephants fight it is the grass that suffers. However, though, the problem in Iran is not a political one but rather a cultural one. The strength of a chain is determined by its weak links. The major weak link in the chain of Iranians as a nation is that they are united not to get united hence the turmoil in Iran.
Despite the advances in the world, we pretty much live by the jungle law with amendments we call civilization. The weak is in the bottom of the food chain so to speak. I asked an Afghani friend when are we to see peace in Afghanistan he said when it is void of Afghanis and it seems it is so with Iran and Iranians. Iran and the whole of Middle East is in need of a cultural revolution not a political one.
Posted by: Nick | February 22, 2013, 3:15 am 3:15 am
Iranian people are not the enemy of America, Iranians and Americans have lot in common. Both countries are very influential(of course US globally much bigger and important) very diverse population, long history of relationship(Not always beneficial for Iran) many foreign enemies(some of them mutual, like Taliban, Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups). At the same times differences, but all can be solved if Iranian and American policymakers put aside their ignorance and look at common grounds try to find a way as this saying also indicates “when there is a will, there is a way”. Unfortunately there are some nations and countries in this world that are very influential, and have more interest in dispute and continues disagreement between US and Iran. Top of the list is Israel, which drives on hostility and hatred. They lobby all the time to make US attack Iran, to see another ancient nation being demolished and destroyed by powerful US military force. I speak from experience both countries have great nations and should work together, but unfortunately many US policymakers are influenced by AIPAC and Israel and the American and Iranian eventually will pay the enormous price for this hostility. let pray for peace in world.
Posted by: Shahram | February 22, 2013, 5:12 am 5:12 am
one way to get rid of them
Posted by: lucky | February 22, 2013, 11:55 am 11:55 am
maybe if they spent more on health than trying to make a bomb to blow up the jews they would be better off.
Posted by: lucky | February 22, 2013, 11:57 am 11:57 am
Lots of “intelligent” posters here assert that Iran is, or about to, make a nuclear weapon.
When I check the State Dept. site, or the Congressional Record site, I find that not a single American intelligence agency believes that Iran is making a nuclear weapon.
I hope the “intelligent” folk here point to real, verifiable, objective evidence – that would really help!
Posted by: Jason | February 22, 2013, 2:54 pm 2:54 pm
So why was David Muir allowed to go into Iran in the first place? Permission by a repressive regime seeking legitimacy for its ambitions! So now the American Sanctions are responsible?! Aren’t those sanctions U.N. sanctions? Anybody who thinks Iran does not want a nuclear weapon is a fool! Iran wants the destruction of Israel! The world CANNOT let that happen! The Iranian people suffer from religious and political repression, not American sanctions!
Posted by: Tim | February 22, 2013, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
Points one. 3 women in a stadium of about 15000 people.
Iranian government did not release money to the health for importation of drugs while Iran point to USA as the cause.
Camera not allowed into Iran and it is strange to hear that ABC news went to the street of Iran to hear from them.
The health minister that made open statement against their government was sacked.
This is like one man government , the revolution that lead Iran to developing nukes will only destroy Iran, me and you , Israel America, Russia. No one is safe . I thing is that many countries already have the technology Iran is striving to get and except America, non has ever used them. You see those who has knives don’t allow people with knives to walk behind them because they know they are not going to feel safe. Iran is heating up the world and they will continue to do so because they are rich nation with vast oil reserve. They should have just seat and enjoy their money instead of suffering their people because they want to acquire nukes.
Iran has almost tasted everything, the only thing remaining is Nukes. Iran today is sponsoring all terrorist attack in all parts of the world but they deny all. Iran is speaking against freedom of press, but no camera in the street of Iran. Iran is sponsoring Hezbollah, Hamas and call Israel Zionist that deny the Palestin citizens thier right but Iran does not allow their own citizen the free to live freely in their own country. And what you can see in a Stadium is only 3 women.
Posted by: Ibrahim | February 23, 2013, 4:28 am 4:28 am
AnAmerican News agency goes to Iran and ask cancer patients who they blame for not being able to get access to life-saving meds as a result of western sanctions spear-heaed by the US. Their response… We don’t know! Imagine what would happen to the Iranian news agency if the tables were turned. What would happen to them in the streets of New York?
Look how “uncivilized” and “murderous” those Iranians are!! We definitely need to protect ourselves from them!
Posted by: Shahram | February 23, 2013, 10:04 am 10:04 am
I am Iranian legal immigrant in US and I was refused for job interview because of sanction. They told me we can not give you job because you are iranian. I received email “we are still not hiring any candidates from the five embargoed countries (Iran, North Korea, Syria, Sudan and Cuba)”. It is discrimination but they do that and it is legal. While other nations can work here. I was discriminated because of my race here in USA. You did not stop nuclear program by sanction you stop me, 24 years old, graduate from school in USA getting job here because of my race by your smart sanction!
Posted by: Iranian girl | March 30, 2013, 9:15 pm 9:15 pm