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Iranian court orders US to pay $6.7 billion after sanctions allegedly stopped special bandage supply

Iranian court orders US to pay $6.7 billion after sanctions allegedly stopped special bandage supply
The young who suffer from Epidermolysis bullosa are known as ‘butterfly children’ as their skin can appear as fragile as a butterfly’s wing. (AFP file photo)
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Updated 11 July 2024

Iranian court orders US to pay $6.7 billion after sanctions allegedly stopped special bandage supply

Iranian court orders US to pay $6.7 billion after sanctions allegedly stopped special bandage supply
  • Epidermolysis bullosa is a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over the body and eyes
  • The young who suffer from the disease are known as ‘butterfly children’ as their skin can appear as fragile as a butterfly’s wing

TEHRAN: An Iranian court on Thursday ordered the US government to pay over $6.7 billion in compensation over a Swedish company stopping its supply of special dressings and bandages for those afflicted by a rare skin disorder after Washington imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
The order by the International Relations Law Court in Tehran comes after Iran last year seized a $50 million cargo of Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. in the Strait of Hormuz amid tensions with the West, something it later said came over the court action for those suffering from Epidermolysis bullosa.
A report Thursday by the state-run IRNA news agency described the $6.7 billion order as being filed on behalf of 300 plaintiffs, including family members of victims and those physically and emotionally damaged. IRNA said about 20 patients died after the Swedish company’s decision.
Epidermolysis bullosa is a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over the body and eyes. It can be incredibly painful and kill those afflicted. The young who suffer from the disease are known as “butterfly children” as their skin can appear as fragile as a butterfly’s wing.
The order comes as US judges have issued rulings that call for billions of dollars to be paid by Iran over attacks linked to Tehran, as well as those detained by Iran and used as pawns in negotiations between the countries — something Iran has responded to with competing lawsuits accusing the US of involvement in a 2017 Daesh group attack. The United Nations’ highest court also last year rejected Tehran’s legal bid to free up some $2 billion in Iranian Central Bank assets frozen by US authorities.
In 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, apparently sparking the Swedish company to withdraw from the Iranian market. Iran now says it locally produces the bandages.
The nuclear deal’s collapse also escalated tensions between Iran and the US, sparking a series of attacks and ship seizures. Iran seized the Marshall Islands-flagged ship carrying the Chevron oil last year. The ship, called the Advantage Sweet, began transmitting its position for the first time since the seizure on Wednesday, potentially signaling the vessel is preparing to depart Iran.
Chevron, based in San Ramon, California, has maintained that the Advantage Sweet was “seized under false pretenses.” It since has written off the cargo as a loss.


Trump expresses doubt over Gaza ceasefire deal

Trump expresses doubt over Gaza ceasefire deal
Updated 21 January 2025

Trump expresses doubt over Gaza ceasefire deal

Trump expresses doubt over Gaza ceasefire deal

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump expressed skepticism about the Gaza ceasefire deal on Monday when asked if he was confident that all three phases of the agreement would be implemented.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office as he signed executive orders, Trump said the densely-populated Palestinian enclave looked like “a massive demolition site” and that it had to be rebuilt in a different way.


Syria’s de facto leader congratulates Trump, looks forward to improving relations

 Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. (AFP)
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. (AFP)
Updated 21 January 2025

Syria’s de facto leader congratulates Trump, looks forward to improving relations

 Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. (AFP)
  • In early January, Washington issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance

CAIRO: Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration in a statement on Monday, saying he is looking forward to improving relations between the two countries.
“We are confident that he is the leader to bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region,” he said.
The US, Britain, the European Union and others imposed tough sanctions on Syria after a crackdown by ousted President Bashar Assad on pro-democracy protests in 2011 that spiralled into civil war.
In early January, Washington issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance.
Syria welcomed the move, but has urged a complete lifting of sanctions to support its recovery.

 

 


Over 900 aid trucks enter Gaza on 2nd day of truce: UN

Over 900 aid trucks enter Gaza on 2nd day of truce: UN
Updated 21 January 2025

Over 900 aid trucks enter Gaza on 2nd day of truce: UN

Over 900 aid trucks enter Gaza on 2nd day of truce: UN
  • The ceasefire agreement calls for 600 trucks to cross into Gaza per day

UNITED NATIONS, United States: More than 900 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza on Monday, the United Nations said, exceeding the daily target outlined in the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
“Humanitarian aid continues to move into the Gaza Strip as part of a prepared surge to increase support to survivors,” the UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) said.
“Today, 915 trucks crossed into Gaza, according to information received through engagement with Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement.”
Throughout conflict in Gaza, the UN has denounced obstacles restricting the flow and distribution of aid into the battered Palestinian territory.
On Sunday, the day the ceasefire came into force, 630 trucks entered Gaza.
An initial 42-day truce between Israel and Hamas is meant to enable a surge of sorely needed aid for Gaza after 15 months of war.
The ceasefire agreement calls for 600 trucks to cross into Gaza per day.


Hamas ‘ready for dialogue’ with Trump administration, senior official says

Hamas ‘ready for dialogue’ with Trump administration, senior official says
Updated 21 January 2025

Hamas ‘ready for dialogue’ with Trump administration, senior official says

Hamas ‘ready for dialogue’ with Trump administration, senior official says
  • Mousa Abu Marzouk, 74, currently based in Qatar, is native of Gaza, former resident of Virginia
  • It is unclear whether statement reflects broad consensus among militant group in Gaza Strip

LONDON: The Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip is ready to engage in dialogue with the US and its new administration under Donald Trump, according to one of its senior officials Mousa Abu Marzouk.

Abu Marzouk, who is a member of Hamas’ political office, told The New York Times on Sunday that the group was “prepared for a dialogue with America and to achieve understanding on everything.”

Abu Marzouk, 74, who is currently based in Qatar, is a native of Gaza and a former resident of Virginia.

His statement came hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in the Gaza Strip, coinciding with the inauguration of a new administration in the White House.

It is unclear whether Abu Marzouk’s words reflect a broad consensus among the militant group in Gaza, which launched a cross-border attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The US has classified Hamas as a terrorist organization since 1997.

Abu Marzouk told The New York Times that Hamas was prepared to welcome an envoy from the Trump administration to the Gaza Strip.

He said: “He can come and see the people and try to understand their feelings and wishes, so that the American position can be based on the interests of all the parties and not only one party.”

Abu Marzouk praised Trump for helping to secure the ceasefire agreement in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, adding that “without President Trump’s insistence on ending the war and his dispatching of a decisive representative, this deal wouldn’t have happened.”


Israelis want Trump to ‘make Israel normal again’

Israelis want Trump to ‘make Israel normal again’
Updated 21 January 2025

Israelis want Trump to ‘make Israel normal again’

Israelis want Trump to ‘make Israel normal again’
  • During his first term, Trump broke with much of the international community and moved the US embassy to Jerusalem

TEL AVIV: For many Israelis yearning for a future free from war and for the release of hostages still held in Gaza, US President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House on Monday is a source of hope.
On the eve of his inauguration, three women hostages were released after 15 months in captivity by Hamas militants, after mediators Qatar, the United States and Egypt clinched a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Trump, whose envoy took part in negotiations even ahead of his return to the presidency, claimed credit for the deal following months of fruitless negotiations.
But many Israelis have been looking forward to his return for a while, even ahead of the ceasefire.
In Tel Aviv’s Sarona commercial district, a massive banner bearing the president-elect’s image was erected weeks ago.
It shows Trump, his fist raised in defiance. The caption, a reference to the hostages, reads: “ALL OF THEM UNTIL THE 20.1 — OR THE FIRE OF HELL WILL OPEN.”
In early December, Trump warned of “hell” if, by his inauguration, Hamas did not release the dozens of Israeli hostages held since its October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the Gaza war.
With the first three releases on Sunday, 91 hostages remain in Gaza.

The Tel Aviv banner was the initiative of Tikva Forum, a campaign group of hostage relatives opposed to a deal with Hamas.
“Hamas has to realize that the rules are about to change in the Middle East and that it’s time to bring back the hostages immediately,” the group said in a statement.
Its members have been anticipating the US billionaire’s return to the helm in Washington, Israel’s closest ally and top military backer.
But it is not just Israelis opposed to a deal that are hopeful.
In the lead-up to the inauguration, his image has become a fixture at weekly rallies calling for the release of hostages.
Red caps handed out at protests alluded to the ones proudly worn by Trump supporters.
But instead of “Make America Great Again,” the ones worn in Israel read: “End this fuc*!ng war.”
Demonstrators carried posters that read: “Trump, thank you for handling this,” “President Trump, bring them home,” and “Make Israel normal again.”
“I know that when he’s going to be back, things will change, but I’m not sure to which extent,” said Gaya Omri, a protester at a recent rally in Jerusalem.
“My only hope is that he can finish this war. This is what we want,” she said.

During his first term, Trump broke with much of the international community and moved the US embassy to Jerusalem.
Israelis claim the city as their undivided capital, while Palestinians claim its eastern sector as theirs.
Trump oversaw landmark normalization deals between Israel and three Arab countries — Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.
He also recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, again going against much of the world and numerous UN resolutions.
As a show of gratitude, an Israeli settlement in the territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967, was renamed Trump Heights.
“President Trump put us on the map,” said Yaakov Selavan of the Golan Heights Regional Council.
“He gave us the best PR campaign we’ve ever had, and we hope the new US administration will continue this,” he said.
This time round, some of Trump’s cabinet picks again suggest a favorable line for Israel.
The incoming president’s pick for US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, is a staunch supporter of Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank.