An Iranian court has ruled that the United States must pay nearly seven billion dollars in damages for illegal sanctions affecting Iranian patients suffering from Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare hereditary disease causing fragile skin.

The Tehran Legal Court of International Relations issued the verdict on Thursday, ordering the U.S. government to pay $6,785,000,000 in material, moral, and punitive damages. This ruling followed lawsuits by 295 Iranian EB patients and their families, who protested against U.S.-imposed sanctions that impeded the import of essential pharmaceuticals and wound dressings.

The court's decision highlighted the unlawful nature of unilateral U.S. sanctions, their impact on humanitarian items, and their adverse effects on vulnerable groups, particularly EB patients. The sanctions, reinstated after the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), led to the cessation of business by companies like the Swedish MedTech firm Mölnlycke, which produced critical medical supplies for EB patients.

In the aftermath, about 20 EB patients died, and many others suffered severe physical injuries due to the lack of necessary medical supplies. Despite the sanctions, an Iranian medical company, Teba Zist Polymer Company, managed to produce advanced wound dressings, mitigating some of the adverse effects of the sanctions.

The sanctions, reinstated by the Trump administration in May 2018, have severely restricted financial channels needed for essential medical supplies, despite claims from Washington and its allies that humanitarian goods were exempted. The court's ruling emphasizes the ongoing humanitarian impact of these sanctions on Iran's most vulnerable populations.