Iran said yesterday it rejected a US offer of aid for survivors of twin deadly earthquakes that struck villages in its northwest on the weekend because it was not made in “good faith”.

“Iran did not accept the US offer for sending humanitarian aid for quake survivors,” Hassan Ghadami, the head of the interior ministry’s crisis management organisation, said, according to the Isna news agency.

“We do not believe the US put forward the offer in good faith. We are currently having a medicine supply crisis because of sanctions,” Ghadami said. “Do us a favour and lift the sanctions,” he said, referring to Washington’s campaign of draconian economic sanctions imposed on Iran.