Syria receives Iranian medical aid

DAMASCUS, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian government on Wednesday donated some medical supplies worth 1.2 million U.S. dollars to the Syrian government in order to "break the U.S. and European siege of the medical sector in Syria."

The supplies comprise 15 ambulances and other medical devices. This is the third round of such aid offered by Iran, the most important regional ally to Syria.

Syrian Minister of Health Wael Halqi said the latest aid aims to "break the siege on the medical sector imposed by the U.S. and the European Union" due to their endless sanctions that were meant to affect the Syrian government but instead negatively rebounded on the citizens themselves.

Halqi said more aid from Iran valued at 30 million U.S. dollars will be contributed to Syria within the next two months.

The minister said the armed groups' attacks on the medical sector have resulted in great losses.

Meanwhile, the Iranian ambassador to Syria, Mohammad Rida Shaibani, said the first two rounds of aid comprised 110 tons of food supplies.

He said in addition to the 15 ambulances, another 35 will be sent to Syria soon, adding that all of the supplies are Iranian- made. Enditem