Red Cross: We are closely cooperating with Iran's Red Crescent

In the past 24 hours, news was published in Iranian media quoting Peter Maurer, the President of the International Red Cross, stating that sanctions on Iran have complicated the relief efforts of Iran's Red Crescent during the recent floods. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran criticized this issue, referencing the same report published by IRNA. However, the public relations office of the International Red Cross denied the recent claims in an interview with Niyusha Baghrati from Radio Farda. According to the International Red Cross, the organization's president made no mention of sanctions on Iran and there are no obstacles to the organization's assistance to the Red Crescent. Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke from the Red Cross's public relations in Geneva stated: 'Peter Maurer's comments at the UN Security Council were general and not related to any specific country. However, we are deeply concerned about the unintended impacts that economic sanctions can have on humanitarian activities. But in this specific case, Peter Maurer's remarks were not directed at any specific country and were made as a general recommendation to all countries.' Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted today: 'The President of the International Red Cross said that the Red Crescent [of Iran] is unable to receive money due to illegal American sanctions.' Is this quote accurate? It is difficult for me to comment on this tweet. However, I can tell you exactly what Peter Maurer said. What he stated was that 'heavy sanctions and anti-terrorism measures obstruct neutral humanitarian activities.' So there was no direct and specific reference to Iran? There was no direct reference to Iran or any other country. Hassan Rouhani criticized what he called the prevention of foreign aid to Iran for the flood victims, calling it a crime. Have you faced any restrictions in sending and providing humanitarian aid to Iran during the recent floods? It is difficult for me to comment on the experiences of other organizations. However, as an independent entity, we always have concerns about the humanitarian consequences of sanctions. In the current situation in Iran, our empathy is with the people whose lives have been affected by the floods. Our representation in Iran closely monitors events, and we are in close cooperation with Iran's Red Crescent, which is our main partner in the region. They are working with staff and volunteers to provide assistance. We at the International Red Cross are ready to explore ways to assist the Iranian Red Crescent community if we receive a request for help. And do you think you will face issues in providing such assistance due to sanctions? Have you encountered any problems in this regard so far? At this stage, we see no restrictions on assisting the Red Crescent [of Iran] as our partner; this, of course, depends on whether we receive such a request from them. At the same time, I must say that in the event of such natural disasters, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the main actor, and we [the International Red Cross] have a supportive role.