Iran has rejected a United States offer of aid for
survivors of deadly earthquakes which struck villages in its north-west,
saying the offer was not made in "good faith".

The weekend
earthquakes killed 306 people and injured 3,000, according to an
official toll, and the US issued a statement sending "the Iranian
people" its condolences and saying, "we stand ready to offer assistance
in this difficult time".

However, the head of the interior
ministry's crisis management organisation, Hassan Ghadami, told local
media Iran had declined aid offers.

"Iran did not accept the US offer for sending humanitarian aid for quake survivors," he said.

"We
do not believe the US put forward the offer in good faith. We are
currently having a medicine supply crisis because of sanctions.

"Do us a favour and lift the sanctions."

Iran's
response underlined what it saw as US hypocrisy, given that Washington
this year has done all it can to isolate Tehran, by imposing economic
sanctions.

Although Iran's Red Crescent said it had rejected other offers of aid
from Germany, Taiwan and Russia, media reports say humanitarian cargoes
from a handful of countries, including Qatar, Pakistan, Switzerland and
Azerbaijan, have arrived.

The US stressed that Americans had ways... >>>