Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday urged the European countries to oppose US economic pressures on Iran amid COVID-19 pandemic, state TV reported.

The US economic pressures on the Iranian people are more “inhumane” when the entire world is gripped with the novel coronavirus issue, Rouhani said in a telephone conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

The continuation of such “inhumane” measures is a “brutal crime,” he said, urging the European countries to stand up to the US violation of international rules and regulations.

Deploring Washington’s opposition to Tehran’s request for an emergency International Monetary Fund loan to fight the coronavirus, Rouhani said, “We expect the European countries, Italy in particular, to take the necessary measures against such (American) violation of regulations in such difficult conditions.”

“We expect European countries, especially Italy, to take appropriate stances against such violation of the rules in these difficult circumstances,” he noted.

Source: Agencies