Coronavirus: Iran and allies call for the US to waive sanctions
March 28, 2020, 10:29 am

Coronavirus: Iran and allies call for the US to waive sanctions

People in protective clothing walk past rows of beds at a temporary 2,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran. (AP/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Iran and several of its allies have called on the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to push for waiving US sanctions against them amid the coronavirus pandemic. US to waive sanctions

Iran, China, Cuba, Russia, Syria, Nicaragua, North Korea, and Venezuela sent a joint letter to Guterres on Saturday calling for the lifting of US sanctions, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported citing the Russian foreign ministry.

The US sanctions “hinder efforts of countries in an effective fight against the coronavirus disease,” according to the letter, official Iranian news outlet IRNA said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani praised Wednesday a campaign calling for US sanctions against the Islamic Republic to be lifted amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the foreign ministry was the entity that launched it.

The campaign was launched by the Washington-based NGO National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and a group of Iranian Americans – but Rouhani credited his foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Iranian Americans opposing the Islamic Republic responded by pointing out that sanctions against the regime do not target the import of humanitarian aid into Iran, and that sanctions relief will only strengthen the regime, rather than help ordinary Iranians. US to waive sanctions

As of Saturday, 2,517 in Iran have died from coronavirus, and there are 35,408 confirmed cases. levant

source: Yaghoub Fazeli levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”