In a video addressing the Iranian people, Brian Hook, the U.S Special Representative for Iran and the head of Iran Action Group said the Islamic Republic is lying about the U.S sanctions against Iran.

On Wednesday, July 24, the U.S State Department released the video of Brian Hook addressing Iranian people, telling them that the Islamic Republic is telling them 4 lies the U.S sanctions.

Hook stated that medicine and medical equipment are exempted from sanctions by the United States and there are no sanctions in place against delivering them to Iran.

While referring to some reports from Iranian media, Hook suggested that “the biggest issue preventing access to medicine and medical care in Iran is the regime itself. The regime and entities affiliated with the IRGC are hoarding drugs and medical equipment that they can then sell at marked-up prices.”

According to Hook, the second “myth” perpetuated by the regime is that the U.S is sanctioning food and agricultural product to Iran, which he said is not true.

The third lie which Hook refuted was “U.S sanctions technology used for communications in Iran.”

Brian Hook explained that the U.S does not sanction any technologies to Iran and “unlike your regime, the United States strongly believes in the free flow of communication and information.”

“For example, your foreign minister comes to the United States to enjoy press freedoms. Maybe someday he will let you enjoy them. You deserve access to information and the ability to communicate with each other and the world. Your regime disagrees with me,” Hook said while showing a photo of Sattar Beheshti’s mother, Gohar Eshghi, sitting by her son’s grave. Blogger Sattar Beheshti was incarcerated and later killed in prison for his Facebook posts.

Hook also denied the U.S blocking humanitarian aid reaching Iran, which was a claim made by the Islamic Republic officials during the massive floods in several provinces of Iran; a claim which was also denied by humanitarian organizations.

He claimed the United States has repeatedly offered humanitarian aid to Iran in the past which were all rejected by the regime, “because they care more about advancing than the well-being of their own people.”

“The truth about sanctions is this: The United States sanctions bad actors in the Iranian regime,” Hook concluded, wishing for the restoration of diplomatic ties between the two countries.