Saudi Arabia, UAE send relief aid to flood-stricken Iran

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the UAE have sent 95 tons of humanitarian aid to their rival Iran as it reels from deadly floods, officials said Thursday, after Tehran complained US sanctions were obstructing relief. “The Saudi Red Crescent, as part of a joint Saudi-UAE initiative to alleviate the suffering of Iranian citizens, has dispatched a relief plane to Tehran with 95 tons of humanitarian aid to support those affected by floods,” the official Saudi Press Agency said. The aid, which includes food and shelter material, was authorised by Saudi Arabia’s king and crown prince, it added. The Emirates Red Crescent was also involved in the relief operation, the UAE’s official WAM news agency said. At least 76 people have died in Iran after torrential rainfall, which has also caused billions of dollars worth of damage since March 19. Iran’s Red Crescent has repeatedly complained that US banking sanctions re-imposed last year make it impossible to receive donations from outside the country.