Iran's Supreme Leader on Friday banned the government from importing COVID-19 vaccines from the United States and Britain, labeling the Western powers "untrustworthy", as the infection spreads in the Middle East's hardest-hit country.
In a live televised speech, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei raised the prospect of the two Western countries, long-time adversaries of the Islamic Republic, possibly seeking to spread the infection to other countries.
He added however that Iran could obtain vaccines "from other reliable places". He gave no details, but China and Russia are both allies of Iran.