US grants sanctions waiver for humanitarian aid to Iran via Swiss channel

The United States on Thursday granted a license to allow for certain humanitarian trade transactions with Iran’s sanctioned central bank. Washington says the move is in step with the formalization of a Swiss humanitarian aid channel.

The newly created channel, which the US Treasury Department said became fully operational on Thursday as it granted the license, would allow for companies to send food, medicine and other critical supplies to Iran.

Last week, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said there was a lot of interest from food and drug companies in using the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement, which began trial operations last month with shipments of medicine, Reuters reported.

Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif on February 3 thanked the Swiss government for its efforts, adding, however, that “this channel is not a sign of America’s goodwill at all.”