Islam Times - US Seeking Revenge through ‘Humanitarian Catastrophe’: Zarif

Islam Times - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday lashed out the US policies during coronavirus pandemic underlining that Americans are seeking revenge through a human disaster.

“The pandemic, which has put human’s destiny in danger, requires all-out cooperation, unity and prayers,” he wrote in a tweet in Arabic, Mehr news agency reported.

“In history, no country has witnessed similar behavior to that of the US President and his team, who are abusing the conditions seeking revenge and spread of hatred besides taking advantage of the outbreak to reach their electoral goals,” he added.

Zarif has also called sanctions, imposed on Iran by the US amid the coronavirus pandemic, “medical terrorism,” in his op-ed for Russia’s Kommersant newspaper on Monday.

He highlighted in the article that Iran has a strong healthcare system, but, thanks to the US’ illegal blocking of Iran’s sources of income, Tehran’s access to medicine and medical equipment becomes impossible.

“This leads to a humanitarian catastrophe. Although Iran is a country that has rich fossil reserves, including oil and gas, it does not have, thanks to the US-imposed sanctions, funding sources, necessary to provide aid to the people who suffered from the coronavirus,” Zarif believes.

“Anti-Iranian sanctions also prohibit the procurement of drugs and medical equipment by the Iranian government. Restrictions in banking and financial sectors, imposed against Iran, harm humanitarian import. Due to American threats, European medical equipment makers do not trade with Iran and do not sell us medical goods.”

The Iranian Minister has noted that the US engages in “economic and medical terrorism” against Iran in various forms.