Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lashed out at the US over its sanctions which are preventing the Islamic Republic from acquiring medical needs to counter coronavirus epidemic which have been spreading across the world.
In a tweet on Sunday, Zarif enumerated a series of US actions against Iran, from cyberattacks on the country’s infrastructure, the January 3 assassination of General Qassem Suleimani, mass punishment of Iranians through the so-called “maximum pressure” policy to closing all pathways to transfer of medical equipment and medicine to the country.
“US has gone from sabotage & assassinations to waging an economic war & #EconomicTerrorism on Iranians—to #MedicalTerror amidst #covid19iran.This even “exceeds what would be permissible on the battlefield.”STOP aiding WAR CRIMES.STOP obeying IMMORAL & ILLEGAL US sanctions,” he tweeted as reported by Tasnim news agency.
“World Will Fail if Pandemic Fails to Stop Unilateralism”
Later on Monday, the top Iranian diplomat stressed if the global coronavirus epidemic fails to stop irresponsible unilateralism, the world and its moral values will fail again.
In an Instagram post in Persian on Monday, Zarif wrote, “These days the world is fighting against a common challenge. This time, it is not related to the borders and interests but it is about humanity, living, and staying.”
“The painful image of these days is the only image of our day that has put the whole world in an unprecedented quest against a universal challenge,” he added, according to Mehr news agency.
“For the world to come back to life, we must believe that all this earth is a land of struggle and that wherever we fail, the whole world has failed,” Zarif noted.
“The world owes all efforts whether in Wuhan, Tehran, Milan, Madrid or New York,” he said, adding, “Every bitter news and sad picture of human deaths demand the mourning of the whole world.”
The Iranian diplomat highlighted, “Fighting against coronavirus is a human campaign and disrupting it will be immoral and inhumane.”
Meanwhile, Zarif insisted that if the global coronavirus epidemic fails to stop melancholy in politics and irresponsible unilateralism, the world and its moral values will fail again.
“The Iranian health sector, citizens and government, like Europe and the United States, are engaged in countering coronavirus, but what doubles the suffering of Iranians, what limits their choices in crisis management, and what aggravates concerns for citizens’ livelihood, is that sanctions and coronavirus are coming at the same time,” he said.
“Iran is the only country that does not have access to all of its resources to protect its citizens; Iran is the only country that cannot easily buy medical equipment and supplies in the face of disease,” Zarif noted, adding, “The combination of sanctions and coronavirus is a more dangerous enemy and a more serious complication which makes corona bolder and makes crisis management decisions more difficult.”
Source: Iranian media
