Iran has sold a US-owned oil cargo seized in the Persian Gulf and plans to use the proceeds to compensate 771 Iranian patients suffering from Epidermolysis Bullosa, a rare genetic disorder that leaves the skin extremely fragile.
Iran’s Judiciary said the cargo was seized in 2023 under a court order. The oil was later unloaded and sold after a final ruling in a case brought by the patients, who argued that US sanctions had prevented them from receiving essential medicines, according to Mehr News Agency.
The patients, often called “butterfly patients” because their skin is as delicate as a butterfly’s wings, filed the lawsuit through a non-governmental organisation representing people with the condition. They sought financial and punitive damages, saying the sanctions had caused serious physical and emotional suffering.
A court official said the ruling had been formally delivered to all parties and that an enforcement order was issued afterwards. The required legal procedures were then completed.
According to the official, Iranian authorities seized a US tanker in the Persian Gulf in 2023 and removed its cargo. After the tanker was released, the court determined that the oil belonged to the US government. The cargo was then sold under judicial orders and Iran’s Civil Enforcement Law.
The money from the sale was placed in an account controlled by Iran’s Judiciary. Further orders have now been issued to distribute the proceeds among the patients according to the court’s decision.
The case reflects the wider human cost of sanctions, which can affect access to medicines even when humanitarian exemptions exist on paper. Iran has repeatedly accused Washington of using sanctions that harm ordinary citizens, while the United States has long defended its restrictions as a means of pressuring the Iranian government.
The ruling is unlikely to settle the larger dispute between Tehran and Washington. But for the EB patients involved, the court’s decision offers the possibility of compensation after years of pain, medical hardship and uncertainty.
