Iran Needs No Charity from US, Only Wants Bans Lifted Amid Virus Crisis - Zarif

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran, as a resource-rich nation, needs no charity from US President Donald Trump in its battle against a coronavirus pandemic, urging Washington instead to stop standing in the way of Tehran’s oil sales and banking transactions.

Zarif made the comments in a tweet on Tuesday, reacting to Trump’s recent claim that the US was ready to help Iran contain the coronavirus outbreak if it asked.

Grilled by reporters earlier this week about the possibility of easing the harsh sanctions against the Iranian nation, Trump said, “I have a moral responsibility to help them if they ask. If they needed help, I would certainly consider different things.”

Rejecting Trump’s offer of help in his tweet, Zarif said, “What we want is for him to STOP preventing Iran from selling oil & other products, buying its needs & making & receiving payments.”

Zarif was referring to the draconian sanctions the Trump administration has imposed on the Iranian economy — especially targeting its oil sales and banking sector — as part of a so-called maximum pressure campaign.

In his tweet, Zarif posted some photos showing Iran’s achievements in different sectors — including healthcare — and emphasized that the Islamic Republic is a rich country in human and natural resources.

“We don’t need charity from @realDonaldTrump —who’s forced to buy ventilators from sources he’s sanctioned,” Zarif added.

Trump’s offer of help to Iran comes at a time when American hospitals have been overwhelmed in recent weeks by patient arrivals as the country records the world’s highest number of infections.

Washington was forced to get ventilators from a Russian firm under American sanctions earlier this week.

However, Iran — the worst hit state by the coronavirus spread in the Middle East — has been doing its utmost to contain the respiratory disease despite the hardships created by US sanctions.

Tehran’s battle against the virus has repeatedly drawn the praise of the World Health Organization, which has expressed certitude that the Islamic Republic has enough capabilities to stem the outbreak.