Iran Live Coverage: Supreme Leader to His Officials "Stop Your Temper Tantrums"
Friday, February 8, 2013 at 6:53
The Supreme Leader addresses Air Force officers on Thursday
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2045 GMT:Health Watch. Exports of American pharmaceuticals to Iran were halved last year, even as overall US exports to the Islamic republic rose about 9% because of grain sales.
Exports of pharmaceuticals fell to $14.8 million from $31.1 million in 2011, while sales of vitamins, medicinal and botanical drugs decreased to $4.9 million from $10.8 million.
US officials have said they tried to sanction Iran without unduly harming ordinary Iranians, granting licenses to American companies who wish to export pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food, and other humanitarian goods to Iran.
However, sanctions lawyers have said the blacklisting of the Islamic Republic's major financial institutions has made it difficult to find smaller Iranian banks able to conduct such licensed transactions as well as international banks willing to deal with them.
Overall US exports to Iran rose to $250.2 million from $229.3 million in 2011. However, most of the increase is attributable to $89.2 million in the sale of wheat and other grains.
In 2011, the United States exported no wheat or grains to Iran.
