Tehran, SAEDNEWS, Jan. 8: “The United States should remove all sanctions prior to returning to the JCPOA,” the Supreme Leader said, adding that the US’ return to the nuclear deal before lifting of the sanctions will be to Iran’s detriment.
Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a live televised speech on the occasion of the January 9, 1978 uprising of the people of Qom which sparked the nationwide uprisings and the Islamic Revolution resulting in the overthrow of the dictatorial monarchy of the Pahlavi regime and establishment of the Islamic Republic in the country.
“The people’s movement on January 9 [1978] was the first blow of the ‘Abrahamic Axe’ on the body of the ‘Big Idol’,” he said, adding, “This movement continued so that you can see the situation of the Big Idol [The US] now. This is their election system. This is their human rights condition, every few hours or days, a black man is killed with no guilt. These are the American values that have become the source of ridicule and this is their paralyzed economy with missions of jobless and hungry people.”
“The Western front is duty-bound to end this malicious move, namely the sanctions, and stop it instantly,” the Supreme Leader stressed, adding, “Yet, we should design the economy in a way that we would administer the country even with the sanctions.”
Ayatollah Khamenei made it clear that the sanctions are gradually becoming ineffective.
“As for our regional presence, our establishment has the duty to behave in a way that its friends are strengthened in the region,” he said, and added, “Our presence is a source of stability, and this has been proved in the issue of ISIL and the like, while the US is a source of instability and Iran is standing against the US destabilizing moves.”
“Today, our defense power is in a way that our enemies have no choice but to consider Iran’s abilities in their calculations,” Ayatollah Khamenei went on to say, noting, “We should not leave the country defenseless as it emboldens the enemy.”
Elaborating on the JCPOA, the Supreme Leader said that Iran’s obligations should be completely proportionate to the measures of the US and Europe which have not fulfilled any of their commitments.
In the end of his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei lauded the Iranian breakthrough in producing the coronavirus vaccine, saying, “The vaccine that has been prepared for the coronavirus is a source of honor and dignity.”
“The entrance of the American and British vaccine is banned. Had the Americans been able to produce a[n effective] vaccine, this scandal would not have occurred in their own country,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, warning, “I really don’t trust in them. Sometimes, they want to test the vaccine on other nations. I am not optimistic on France, either, because they have the precedence of contaminated bloods.”
In relevant remarks, Iran’s Headquarters for Executing the Order of Imam (Khomeini) said on Monday that a second group of volunteers have been injected the Iranian coronavirus vaccine (COV-Iran Barekat) in phase one of its human trial.
The head of EOIK public relations Hojjatollah Niki-Maleki said after close examination of the three previous volunteers who were injected with the home-grown COVID-19 vaccine, the permit was issued for the injection of the vaccine to the next group.
Niki-Maleki said the first volunteer was injected with the vaccine and the other three will be given their doses with intervals.
In relevant remarks in late December, Iran’s Health Minister Saeed Namaki said that the country has a century-old experience and know-how in the production of vaccines, and announced that the human trial of the COVID-19 vaccine has started with the first injection on Tuesday December 29 of the domestic vaccine.
"We have developed various platforms for coronavirus, including the vaccine, the first human phase of which was performed today," Namaki said, and added, "Another platform is also underway at Razi Institute, and its animal tests are underway and will soon receive a human testing license."
"We hope that we will soon see the start of the second human trial phase of this national vaccine and then the third phase to be followed by its mass production," he continued.
Also, Head of Iran’s Headquarters for Executing the Order of Imam Mohammad Mokhber expressed pleasure with the start of the human trial phase of the home-made coronavirus vaccine, and declared preparedness to produce 1.5mln doses of the vaccine every month.
“In addition to the vaccine that went under the human trial phase today, we are running six other quests for developing a coronavirus vaccine, and we are ready to produce 1.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccine per month in Iran in the next two or three weeks,” Mokhber said after the first home-made coronavirus vaccine was tested on his daughter on Tuesday December 29 (Source: Fars News).
Iranian Economy Grows Amid Corona Pandemic, President Hassan Rouhani Says
