Lift Medicine Sanctions First If You Want to Help, Rouhani Tells Foes

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has urged the hostile governments who have offered to help Iran in the fight against coronavirus to remove the sanctions on the medicine and foodstuff on the first hand if they are honest about assisting the Iranian people.

Addressing a weekly cabinet session on Wednesday, President Rouhani said the governments that have imposed sanctions on the delivery of medicine and foodstuff to Iran and have felt no compunction about harming the Iranian nation over the past two years have now emerged “under the mask of sympathy” and pretend to be interested in helping the people of Iran.

“If you are really telling the truth, you ought to lift at least the medicine sanctions. This is the first step,” the president told the hostile countries offering help in the battle with COVID-19.

“You should say ‘we have been wrong about the Iranian nation so far and have made mistakes and we apologize, and our first step is that the banking activities for the purchase of medicine, transportation of medicine and shipping activities in this regard and the (delivery of) foodstuff for people will be free and we would not take any action against them, and we have lifted this sanction against the people’”, President Rouhani told the governments that have slapped Iran with sanctions.

He further noted that people of Iran are well aware that the enemies are lying.

“I should here thank all of the governments and countries that have assisted us in the fight against this virus, or are ready to help us, have sent equipment, and are again ready to deliver medicine and equipment to our country. I express gratitude to all of them,” the president added.

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President Rouhani further lashed out at the “coronavirus market profiteers” who have hoarded medical supplies and respiratory masks.

He then gave an assurance that the Iranian medical society will overcome the current crisis with the “minimum casualties and in the shortest time possible”.

President Rouhani further called on people not to pay attention to the fake news and false statistics for the coronavirus death toll and infection cases, saying the only authentic source to release the news of the disease is the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.

He finally praised the doctors, nurses and medical staff for being at the forefront of the war on COVID-19.

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