Iran Says US Has No Legal Right to Veto IMF’s Measures

In remarks at a press conference on Monday, Ali Rabiei decried the US’s attempts at blocking Iran’s request for an emergency IMF loan for the fight against coronavirus.

“The US is legally in no position to obstruct the natural and expectable performance of the international institutions and organizations,” he underlined.

The Iranian spokesman said the US must realize that the international institutions are not the American properties and assets, nor are the other nations under its command, and Washington cannot dictate to the other countries such cruelly.

“We believe that the US has no right to veto the (International Monetary) Fund’s measures. No right has been determined to veto the Fund’s measures, and such right does not exist,” Rabiei emphasized.

“What we have been informed of is that the other members of the IMF will also prevent the US’ anti-human measure, and we believe that the IMF will make decisions independently,” he stated.

“We have been paying this fund (IMF) our membership fees for many years. We have also never made any request from the fund throughout the past years, and today, it is the Iranian people’s natural right to be able to use it (the loan) under the conditions that the sanctions are threatening the lives and livelihood of people,” the spokesman noted.

He said while Iran is struggling with the sanctions, the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, which is threatening the lives of all people across the world, has created a new suffering for Iran.

Tehran regards this as its legitimate right to get an IMF loan, Rabiei added.

He finally noted that the IMF’s measure will show the world that its cooperation in the international affairs could not follow the “unilateral policies” of any party.

The IMF’s independent decision “will be a symbol of moral and humanitarian nature of the funds that are created for the humanitarian issues,” he concluded.

Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund for a $5 billion loan to deal with the outbreak of COVID-19.

Last week, President Hassan Rouhani said it would be unacceptable for the IMF to unfairly refuse Iran’s application for the loan that it needs for the fight against the coronavirus.