Vials labelled "COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine" are placed on dry ice in this illustration taken on Dec 4, 2020. (Photo: Agencies)

TEHRAN- The governor of Iran's central bank said on Monday the US "inhumane sanctions" have blocked Iran's purchase of vaccines needed to tackle the COVID-19 epidemic, official news agency IRNA reported.

"Because the purchase of the COVID-19 vaccine has to be done through the official channels of the World Health Organization (WHO), all the paths to pay and transfer the required currency have so far been blocked by the inhumane embargoes of the US government and the need to obtain an Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) license," Abdolnaser Hemmati wrote on social media.

The International Monetary Fund did not "even dare" to raise Iran's request for a humanitarian loan on its board "under pressure and threats from the US and despite acknowledging Iran's right and the absence of any economic or legal obstacles," Hemmati said.