Queen Rania Urges Fair Distribution of Vaccines

Queen Rania of Jordan. File photo
Queen Rania of Jordan. File photo
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Queen Rania Urges Fair Distribution of Vaccines

Queen Rania of Jordan. File photo
Queen Rania of Jordan. File photo

Queen Rania of Jordan has stated that there is no reason why countries that have an excessive supply of vaccines can't donate their surplus to poorer states, as she called for fair distribution.

“We are all in a race against a pandemic, not against each other,” Queen Rania said, adding that any single country's inability to recover from this crisis could lead to instability and insecurity for all.

Her statements were made while participating virtually in the Warwick Economics Summit.

The Queen explained that while some wealthy countries have pre-ordered enough vaccine doses to immunize their populations three times over, "lower-income countries will at best only manage to vaccinate a tenth of their populations" this year.

“I see no reason why those who have excess supply can't donate their surplus to poorer countries, and I'm glad that some countries have committed to doing just that,” the Queen said.

"If we aren't motivated by moral or ethical responsibility, then at least we should be motivated to act from a global health standpoint," she added.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has expressed concern that more than three-quarters of vaccinations are in just 10 countries.

"Almost 130 countries, with 2.5 billion people, have yet to receive a single dose," he said.

Jordan’s Ministry of Health said that the death toll from the COVID-19 disease has reached 4,369 and the total number of infections rose to 333,855.

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 2,299,637 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP.

In addition, more than 120 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were used in no less than 82 countries.



Egypt Welcomes Tehran’s Renaming of ‘Islamabouli Street’ as a Turning Point in Relations with Iran

Relations between Egypt and Iran saw a notable thaw following Araghchi’s visit to Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
Relations between Egypt and Iran saw a notable thaw following Araghchi’s visit to Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt Welcomes Tehran’s Renaming of ‘Islamabouli Street’ as a Turning Point in Relations with Iran

Relations between Egypt and Iran saw a notable thaw following Araghchi’s visit to Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
Relations between Egypt and Iran saw a notable thaw following Araghchi’s visit to Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt has welcomed Iran’s decision to rename a Tehran street once dedicated to Khalid al-Islamabouli - the Egyptian army officer who assassinated President Anwar Sadat in 1981 - describing the move as a significant step toward resetting bilateral relations.

In the first official Egyptian response to the development, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ambassador Tamim Khallaf told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Renaming the street is a positive step in Egyptian-Iranian relations. It helps put matters back on the right track.”

The street, long a source of tension between Cairo and Tehran, has now been renamed after Hassan Nasrallah, the former Secretary-General of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, following a decision by the Tehran City Council.

Iranian media reported that a formal ceremony was held to unveil the new name, attended by officials, intellectuals, and civil society figures. The change was part of a wider initiative that saw 11 streets in the capital renamed last month.

Dr. Hoda Raouf, a Cairo-based expert on Iranian affairs, said the move reflects “a meaningful shift and a clear sign of Iran’s serious intent to restore relations with Egypt.”

She noted that Egyptian-Iranian ties have two key dimensions: regional security - particularly Egypt’s opposition to Iranian interference in countries such as Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen - and the bilateral relationship, which has long been strained over symbolic gestures such as honoring Sadat’s assassin.

Political philosopher and Iran specialist Dr. Mohamed Khairy echoed that assessment, calling the street name change “a significant development.”

He emphasized that the decision was passed by majority vote and attended by influential figures from Iran’s political establishment, which he said reflects a genuine desire within Iran to repair ties with Cairo.

The gesture comes amid signs of warming relations between the two nations. Iranian top diplomat Abbas Araghchi recently visited Cairo, where he met President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and senior officials.

His visit included a symbolic walk through the historic Khan el-Khalili bazaar, prayers at the Al-Hussein Mosque, and dinner at the famed Naguib Mahfouz restaurant.

Sisi also held a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the recent Israeli escalation against Iran, in which he affirmed Egypt’s rejection of Israeli attacks on Iranian territory.