Iran Thanks Int’l Corona Aid, Says Won’t Forget Friends of Hardships

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi has appreciated the assistance provided for the Islamic Republic by a number of Asian and European countries in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

“Following the Twitter and phone calls of Mr Zarif and the Embassies’ efforts, besides China, Turkey, Emirates, Germany, France, UK aids in cash/medical equipment have been received from Japan, Qatar, Azerbaijan & Russia,” Mousavi tweeted on Saturday.

“The Government and people of Iran never forget their friends of hardships,” he added.

Mousavi’s comments came after the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo announced Japan’s 2.5-billion-yen medical assistance to Iran in the fight against coronavirus.

Earlier, several cargos of humanitarian aid were sent to Iran by countries like the UK, France, Germany, China, Qatar and the World Health Organization (WHO).

UK, Germany and France (the E3 group) also offered Iran a package of assistance of Euro 5 million to combat coronavirus in the country.

The aid included equipment for laboratory tests, as well as other equipment, including protective body suits and gloves.

The recent aid deliveries came after several requests made by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, including his recent letter to the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres.

“In letter to UN SG Antonio Guterres, I urge the world body—and member states—to disregard inhuman US sanctions on my country. And insist that they be lifted,” Zarif tweeted on Friday.

“As the COVID-19 ravages Iran, we should recognize that viruses don’t discriminate. To fight them, neither should humans,” he added.

Emad Askarieh

Emad Askarieh has worked as a journalist since 2002. The main focus of his work is foreign policy and world diplomacy. He started his career at Iran Front Page Media Group, and is currently serving as the World Editor and the Vice-President for Executive Affairs at the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website.