Intensifying US sanctions amid coronavirus pandemic contravenes human, UN norms: Rouhani

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says the United States' move to prevent the dispatch of medical and humanitarian aid and the facilitation of banking interactions to meet the Iranian people's needs suffering from the deadly new coronavirus contravenes human and the United Nations regulations.

In a phone conversation with Tunisian President Kais Saied on Monday, Rouhani said the US administration has intensified its cruel measures and sanctions against the Iranian people even under the current difficult conditions caused by the virus outbreak.

He said world countries should condemn such inhuman US measures and urge Washington to abide by UN regulations and respect human norms.

"Tunisia, as a non-permanent member of the [UN] Security Council, is duty-bound to take steps in line with the international community's resistance against cruel and inhuman sanctions," the Iranian president added.

He noted that all countries and nations should unite to battle the new coronavirus outbreak, which has turned into an international woe, stressing the importance of adopting joint measures and strengthening cooperation across the globe to save human lives and contain the disease.

US President Donald Trump reinstated Washington's sanctions on Iran in May 2018 after he unilaterally left the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed between Iran and major world powers.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) — known as the World Court — has ordered the White House to lift the sanctions it has illegally re-imposed on humanitarian supplies to Iran.

The US claims the bans do not get in the way of food and medicine exports to Iran, but the Islamic Republic says Washington has been working to make problems for a Swiss humanitarian channel launched to enable the transfer of commodities to Iran.

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Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Monday that the number of coronavirus deaths had increased to 1,812 and the total infections to 23,049 during the past 24 hours.

“There have been 127 new deaths and 1,411 new infections since Sunday," he said.

Jahanpour further put the number of patients who have recovered from the viral disease at 8,376.

Pres. Rouhani: US sanctions depriving Iranians of good health, jobs, income

Iran

In a message issued to the American people on Friday, Rouhani said "brutal" sanctions unilaterally imposed on the Iranian nation by the US are depriving a great number of Iranians of health, jobs and sources of income, urging the American people not to allow the current administration’s hostile attitude toward Iran to tarnish the history of their country.

The Tunisian president, for his part, slammed the US sanctions against the Iranian people and said at a time that all countries are suffering from the coronavirus outbreak, the UN should play a role to help all nations.

Saied added that Tehran and Tunis will stand by each other to fight the coronavirus and overcome other international challenges.

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