He urged the international community, members of the World Health Organization (WHO) in particular, to play “effective” role in putting an end to the illegal and unilateral sanctions, Mehr News Agency (MNA) reported.

Namaki made the remarks while addressing the online 67th meeting of the Health Ministers of the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region.

He stressed that a fair and timely access to medicines and health products, especially effective vaccines, without restrictions or discrimination, and illegal sanctions is very important.

“Violent acts like sanctions, especially when the pandemic has a negative impact on all aspects of life, are a sign of genocide that deliberately targets ordinary people,” he added.

He further urged the WHO and other regional and global organizations to work together to end such unilateral sanctions.

These remarks came as US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on 18 Iranian banks in a hostile move on Thursday. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also claimed that US maximum pressure on the Islamic Republic will continue until Iran returns to the negotiating table.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also reacted to new US sanctions on Iranian banks and maintained that the country seeks to blow up Iran’s remaining channels to pay for food and medicine amid the COVID-19 pandemic.