ran’s president says 13 million Iranians will be vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 22, as the country moves ahead with plans to develop a number of domestic vaccine candidates.
“According to the Health Ministry’s timetable, by the end of the [Iranian] month of Tir (July 22), 13 million people from the high-risk groups in the country will be vaccinated,” President Hassan Rouhani said during a meeting of his administration's economic coordination office on Sunday.
Rouhani said his administration is determined to garner power for the domestic production of vaccines, but he noted that in the meantime, vaccine jabs must be imported from other countries to save people’s lives, because "no time should be lost to this end."

He pointed out that the process of preparing and supplying vaccines is not very easy, citing vaccine shortages in the world and restrictions created by sanctions against Iran’s payment system as problems faced by the country.