Mehdi Pir Salehi, the chairman of Food and Drugs Administration says that Iran is exporting 26 million Dollars’ worth of medicine and medical equipment to Iraq.

Salehi also stated that registration of Iranian drugs in Iraq is a slow process and if this problem is solved, with the export of Iranian medicines to Iraqi market, Iran can save 50 percent in the cost of importing medicine.

Hamid Hosseini, the chair of Iran-Iraq chamber had previously said that Iran has not been successful in trading medicine with Iraq and this has been due to the registration process and bureaucracy in Iraq.

Hosseini added that “trade with Iraq in Dinar (Iraq’s currency) does not cause any problems because Dinar is a valid trade currency for other countries including China and Europe.”

The minister of Health, Saeed Namaki, while addressed Iraqi officials said: “Iran has been by Iraq’s side in hard times. Now we expect Iraq to be on our side during sanctions.”

Hassan Rouhani has claimed that the United States is interfering in contracts between Iran and drug companies and he called it a “crime against humanity”.

Javad Zarif also published a letter by 66 members of Iran’s Medical Association, asking U.N to oppose sanctions on medicine and humanitarian aids.

Despite these claims, medicine and medical equipment have never been on the list of U.S sanctions against Iran.