The US is taking steps to ease regulations blocking sales of food and medicine to Iran amid sanctions imposed on the country by the Trump administration, AP reports.

The Treasury Department said it had created a way to ensure humanitarian aid can continue “despite the administration's effort to isolate Tehran.”

Treasury plans to allow “permissible trade” to support the Iranian people while maintaining efforts to deprive the Iranian government of the resources Washington says it “needs to develop missiles and support militant activities around the Middle East.”

The move announced on Friday addresses concerns by aid groups and others that regulations prevented shipments of food and medicine that were traditionally allowed to countries which are under sanctions.