Purchasing COVID-19 Vaccine Via SHTA Needs No FATF: Iranian Official

President of Iran-Swiss Chamber of Commerce Sharif Nezam Mafi says Iran will face problem for purchasing of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine out of the Swiss humanitarian trade agreement (SHTA), adding that the SHTA has been launched for this purpose and it will need no joining the FATF. Speaking to ILNA, Nezam Mafi said that the chamber predicted that the SHTA would be one of the few channels for providing COVID-19 vaccine and the process is underway, adding the strange thing is the U.S. Administration issued license for Iran to use its frozen assets to purchase vaccine. He said nobody expected this to happen during the Trump Administration but the world community pressures forced the U.S. to make such a decision.

He further said that since the SHTA can function out of the FATF system, this license was issued, adding that two Iranian banks observe the FATF regulations and for this reason there is no problem for such trades through these banks. He expressed hope that after purchase of COVID-19 vaccine, the country would be able to do more purchases and by revising the decision on joining the FATF, Iranian banks could be delisted by the FATF.

Nezam Mafi went on to say that the country should work to remove some 18 Iranian banks from the FATF black list because even the U.S. under Joe Biden returns to the JCPOA, the FATF woe will still remain and this is the woe that we ourselves have created it. - ILNA, Iran News Daily