TEHRAN — Islamic Revolution Guards Corp Commander Major General Hossein Salami said on Sunday that reaching high peaks cannot be done without bearing hardships.

General Salami made the remarks as the IRGC started the first phase of the clinical trial of its domestically-made "Noora" coronavirus vaccine.

Produced by Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Noora vaccine was unveiled at the presence of IRGC chief and Health Minister Saeed Namaki. The recombinant vaccine entered the stage of human trial after 16 months of research by Iranian scientists.

Salami said Iran is announcing to the world that it will never give up in the face of difficulties and “we know that we can finally remove all formidable barriers of sanctions through technical and scientific efforts.” 

The senior general went on to say “we are fighting for independence and we are in the midst of a great battle.”

He said Iran is hellbent to achieve progress despite all pressures by the West. 

“Powerful countries have decided to prevent our national independence and we have decided at any cost” to protect “the stature of our country and nation,” Salami remarked.

Criticizing the West for imposing stifling sanctions on Iran, he said, “Those who speak of democracy and progress in world want our sick children to die in arms of their mothers. Their plan for our nation is poverty, backwardness, disease, and disintegration, which is why they don't allow us to transfer money for medicine and vaccines nor do they allow us to interact with the world.”

Even during the Coronavirus pandemic, the United States refused to loosen financial sanctions on Iran to import medicine and medical equipment. In March 2020 Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said the U.S. economic war against Iran is “supplanted by medical terrorism”.  

Noora is the fifth vaccine that Iran is developing.  
COVIRAN BAREKAT vaccine is being administered for injection. It received the license for public use on June 14. It was unveiled on December 29, 2020. 
The second vaccine developed by the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (Razi Cov Pars) started the clinical trial on February 27.

Fakhra vaccine, the third domestically developed vaccine named after martyr nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was unveiled and started the clinical trial on March 16. The first phase of the human trial for Fakhra vaccine is done successfully.
“Osvid-19”, the fourth domestic vaccine produced by Osvah Pharmaceutical Company, is also undergoing human trials. It will be available in early September.
On May 24, the first coronavirus vaccine made by the private sector also succeeded to receive the code of ethics and entered the phase of clinical studies.

“High goals”

The IRGC commander said the Iranians have high goals, adding the Islamic Republic has decided to be among the top countries in the world in every field.

“Today we are among the top countries in many areas. We have unmanned wide-body aerial vehicles that fly seven thousand kilometers and land anywhere,” he explained, highlighting Iran’s advances in military industry. 

Iran plans to give vaccines to poor countries

In his Sunday remarks, Salami said, “We give these vaccines to the poor people of other countries and our dear nation can be sure that they will see the signs of hope raised more than ever.” 

Iran has criticized “vaccine apartheid” by the West. 

Zarif has said Iran will fight against ‘vaccine apartheid’ in Africa. “Iran will always be a reliable partner to all African friends,” Zarif wrote on his Twitter account on May 25. Zarif added, “As COVID-19 continues to ravage the world, we're again joined in the fight against apartheid—this time #VaccineApartheid.”

Salami also said Iran is now able to export coronavirus vaccines to the United States.

“Now is the time for us to give vaccines to the Americans, and we declare that if they have a shortage, we are ready to help them. I promise the Americans and the Iranians that whatever they have boycotted that we do not achieve, they can be sure that we will achieve it, but we are ready to give them all that progress,” he concluded. 

SA/PA