Iranian FM Zarif, sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, urging the need to lift all U.S. sanctions on Iran, which are impeding the country’s combat against coronavirus.
Zarif in this letter, copies of which were sent to the heads of international organizations and FMs of all states, touched upon the need for the removal of all unilateral and illegal U.S. sanctions on Iran.
He elaborated that U.S. sanctions on legal trade and recent preconditions set by U.S. officials on prohibition of selling medicine, medical equipment and humanitarian goods to Iran, has negatively impacted Iran’s fight against the coronavirus.
The Iranian minister also explained that secondary sanctions on Iran’s oil sales and exports of its other products have reduced the Iranian government’s capability in meeting the demand of the Iranian nation for basic goods.
He named the imposed financial sanctions and the US embargo on Iran’s transportation, insurance and banking sectors as other anti-Iranian measures, which are rooted in the indifference of the international society about Americans’ measures towards Iran.
According to Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour on Thursday, the number of coronavirus patients in Iran has climbed to 10,075, with the death toll hitting 429.
URGENT
Iranian care personnel are courageously battling #COVID19 on frontlines
Their efforts are stymied by vast shortages caused by restrictions on our people's access to medicine/equipment
Most urgent needs are outlined below
Viruses don't discriminate. Nor should humankind pic.twitter.com/GpXCbsh001
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) March 12, 2020
