Iran demands US pay $6.8b for sanctions impact on patients

An Iranian court has ordered the United States to pay almost $6.8 billion in damages for the effect of sanctions on patients with a rare skin disease, the judiciary said.

The International Court in Tehran ordered its foe the United States to pay $6.785 billion to patients with epidermolysis bullosa, a disorder that causes the skin to blister easily, the judiciary's Mizan Online website said on Thursday.

Then-president Donald Trump in 2018 unilaterally withdrew the US from a nuclear accord between Iran and several global powers. He reimposed economic sanctions that had been lifted under the agreement.

Washington's measures "deprived these patients of medicines and ointments", leading to "the death of about 20 people", Mizan Online said.

The trial began in November 2021, when 295 complainants, including patients, took 30 American officials to court for "having participated in the establishment of the sanctions," Mizan added.

They filed the case after independent United Nations experts in October 2021 cited the impact of the US measures on epidermolysis bullosa patients as an example of "over-compliance with sanctions".

Washington had exempted humanitarian goods, especially medicines and medical equipment, from its sanctions.

But international purchases of such supplies were obstructed by banks wary of conducting business with Iran.

UN experts cited the case of a Swedish company that halted the sale of special bandages to its Iranian client. Such bandages provide vital relief to patients with epidermolysis bullosa.

In March, Mizan reported that Iran's judiciary had ordered the seizure of American oil worth more than $50 million aboard a tanker seized in 2023.

It said the seizure was in retaliation for "the sanctions of Western countries, especially the United States, which led to the prevention of the sale of drugs needed for epidermolysis bullosa patients".