Tasnim � Iran�s Health Minister said the country has amassed a reserve of strategic medicines enough to meet domestic demand for seven months.

Speaking at a conference in the western city of Hamedan on Tuesday, Saeed Namaki said all Iranian pharmaceutical factories and operating rooms have a reserve of strategic medicines enough to meet demands until July 2020.

The minister also noted that medicine shortage in Iran has dropped to one-third what it used to be last year.

The Health Ministry has managed to supply the necessary medical equipment and medicines despite the cruel sanctions imposed by the US, Namaki added.

In comments in October, he said Iran was exporting pharmaceuticals to countries in Europe, Africa and Central Asia.

In September, secretary of Biotechnology Development Headquarter at the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology said Iranian biopharmaceuticals were being exported to major customers like Russia, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Turkey, adding that plans were underway to transfer Iranian biopharmaceuticals technology to Argentina.