Tasnim � Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi said a Swiss humanitarian channel recently launched for exporting food and medicine to Iran proves that the products have been sanctioned by the US.

�In spite of the US� false claims that medicines and foodstuffs are not sanctioned, they (US officials) have practically blocked all ways to make bank transactions in this area,� Mousavi said on his Twitter account on Wednesday.

�With the launch of the so-called humanitarian channel for the supply of pharmaceuticals, they have officially confirmed that the claim is empty and in violation of the International Criminal Court ruling and that medicine and food are sanctioned while it should not be,� the spokesman added.

The humanitarian channel to bring food and medicine to Iran has started trial operations, the Swiss and US governments said on Thursday.

The Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA) seeks to ensure that Swiss-based exporters and trading companies in the food, pharmaceutical, and medical sectors have a secure payment channel with a Swiss bank through which payments for their exports to Iran are guaranteed, a government statement said.

The remarks come against the backdrop of increased tensions between Iran and the US with Washington imposing new sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

The US has ratcheted up pressure on Iran since May 2018 after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).