Rouhani Warns IMF: Trump Cannot Block Iran’s Loan Request

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned the International Monetary Fund [IMF] to consider the Islamic Republic’s request for $5 billion without “discrimination” after reports said the US was seeking to block the loan.

While the IMF has said it is in dialogue with Iranian authorities to understand Iran’s needs and what is required for Tehran's demand to be processed, several reports suggested that the fund is under the US pressure to forego the request.

“We urge all international organizations to fulfill their legal duties. Iran is a member of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and has always paid its shares; some of our resources are at their disposal,” Rouhani said on Wednesday.

“If there is to be discrimination between Iran and other countries, it is not tolerable for us and the world's public opinion,” Rouhani added.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati wrote last month to the IMF to request a $5 billion emergency loan for funding Tehran’s needs to fight the novel coronavirus.

Iran is currently the worst-hit country by the coronavirus in the Middle East, where the respiratory disease has killed more than 3,800 people and infected over 62,000 others.

"We haven't asked for anything from this fund for the last 50 years even as we have fulfilled our obligations. If they [IMF] do not fulfill their duties in these difficult circumstances, the world will have a different take on this issue," Rouhani said.

According to BBC Persian, citing US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, the Trump administration is opposing loans to Iran by the IMF and the World Bank as the coronavirus crisis is ravaging the globe.