Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Friday urged Americans to call on the U.S. government to lift sanctions as Iran fights the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East, state media reported.

“U.S. government sanctions have led to many ordinary Iranians losing their health, jobs and income,” Rouhani said in a message carried by state media. “Now is the time for the American people to shout loudly at the U.S. government to demand an answer ... and not allow the U.S. history to be blackened further.”

The United States sent Iran a blunt message this week: the spread of the coronavirus will not save it from U.S. sanctions that are choking off its oil revenues and isolating its economy.

Iran is the Middle Eastern nation worst hit by coronavirus, with its death toll climbing to 1,284 and one person dying from it every 10 minutes and 50 becoming infected every hour, the health ministry said.

The United States, which argues that its “maximum pressure” campaign to curb Iran’s nuclear, missile and regional activities does not stop the flow of humanitarian goods, imposed new sanctions this week.

The Trump administration blacklisted five companies based in the United Arab Emirates, three in mainland China, three in Hong Kong and one in South Africa for trade in Iran’s petrochemicals.

“Washington’s increased pressure against Iran is a crime against humanity,” an Iranian official told Reuters. “All the world should help each other to overcome this disease.”

Some analysts suggested the Trump administration should do more to speed the flow of humanitarian goods into Iran, though they saw little evidence to suggest this was in the offing.

“Our policy of maximum pressure on the regime continues,” Brian Hook, the U.S. Special Representative for Iranian Affairs, told reporters. “U.S. sanctions are not preventing aid from getting to Iran.”

On Monday, China called on the United States to give Iran sanctions relief for humanitarian reasons but U.S. officials, foreign diplomats and analysts saw no signs of this.

“While Iran is an epicenter of this virus outbreak and facing true economic catastrophe ... there will be no relief on sanctions,” said Elizabeth Rosenberg of the Center for a New American Security think tank.

Hook said Washington sent a diplomatic note to Tehran offering help with coronavirus “and it was quickly rejected.”

He also blamed Iran’s leadership for its coronavirus woes, saying that Iran “spends billions on terrorism and foreign wars” and that if it spent one tenth of this “on a better health care system, the Iranian people would have been much better off.”

In what might be a gesture to Washington, Tehran released U.S. citizen Michael White from its custody though he must stay in Iran.

Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution think tank said Iran allowing White or other detained U.S. citizens to fly home might appeal to President Donald Trump.

“I still don’t believe this administration wants to provide a lot of leeway to the Iranian authorities but that doesn’t mean they can’t or shouldn’t be looking for every opportunity to” get medical supplies into Iran, she said.

The outbreak in Iran was likely to spread as Iranians travel for the Nowruz new year’s celebration, she added, saying this could hurt U.S. security partners across the region.

“Iran is Italy, only on steroids,” Maloney said, alluding to the outbreak in Italy, whose coronavirus death toll on Thursday overtook that of China, where the virus emerged.

Mark Dubowitz, an Iran hawk with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies policy group, said Washington could send medical goods to Iran via private groups but should not ease sanctions.

“At the very time Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias in Iraq are killing Americans and Brits and others, this would be exactly the wrong time to be providing any kind of economic relief to the regime,” he said, referring to last week’s attack on a military camp in Iraq that killed one British and two U.S. personnel..

“We should be sending medical supplies directly to Iranians through non-governmental organizations and bypass the regime.”

Iranians appeared to have mixed feelings about whether Washington was making its outbreak worse.

“America’s sanctions are preventing Iran from getting necessary medicine and equipment to fight against this virus. They have to lift it,” said dentist Arash Hosseini, 52, in Tehran.

But Twitter user @fnikjoo, suggested sanctions relief would just provide “Money to support more terrorists in the region and beyond.”

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-iran-usa/u-s-to-iran-coronavirus-wont-save-you-from-sanctions-idUSKBN21712L

Where is the love for one another?

The World have to unite and fight this, US can sanction later. Helping highly infected countries is like helping yourself, if she cant survive it, it may be pass to you.

Trump will deal with you head slammers(shia) hated by another head slammers (Sunnis)

land for sale,,,,,,,, Trump is a real man

Heartless Trump

..

The US should take it easy on them abeg.

let's first solve this virus pandemic b4 the economic crisis.
both countries has quite a high number of cases..

Coronavirus won't save the US from travel ban as well

Iran gets no love. No love lost, no love found.

The lives of the citizenry should be considered first, once the virus is over the sanctions can be placed back. America should not act as a bully and a Bloodthirsty mofos.

Trump wicked o

Iran done touch the tail of a lion

At this critical time nations need to do everything and fight this coronavirus together all at once, unfortunately Trump's low reasoning ability would do more harm to the lives of Americans at this critical time.

China alone supplies both Iran and US medical and medicines. What If China decides to cut US supplies and increase that of Iran just to send Washington a message at this critical time of need? It's a terrible experience to be ruled by stupid leaders that make decisions that are capable of cutting lives short

Na wa o.

People still dey do roforofo fight for this situation the whole world is going through.

USA , please take it easy biko,
Na too much veins Kill Bruce Lee o.

Let's make love and not war for now.
Continue your sanction and fight after Coronavirus waka.

Coronavirus looking at the people fighting........like...

Mtcheeww......which kine blackmail we go call this wan sey iran wan do america so??

E no consyn me sha

[img]https://media1./images/d8305dde14424a25518e862786161125/tenor.gif?itemid=5457118[/img]

Double wahala for Iran.

I thought that all wars have ended. It's high time Iran stop funding terrorism and wars and think of developing their nation rather than depending on external aids for their survival at a time like this.

See wahala

StandardBuilder:
The World have to unite and fight this, US can sanction later. Helping highly infected countries is like helping yourself, if she cant survive it, it may be pass to you.

I pity the Iranian masses many of whom are against their current government's fraternity with terrorism. Those guys heading their government don't give a hoot. Any leeway they get is to help them fund terrorism even more.

America needs to calm down and focus on more meaningful things

Hhansome:
Where is the love for one another?

Remove religion here.
When Iran said they will wipe out Israel. .was there love?

Trump no get chill, but Iran is stubborn. Iran should back down on its nuclear enrichment, then America will listen to them. No reason to cry when you cannot move your ground.

For the first time I have to say this...Trump and co should go and sit down somewhere. Which nonsense sanction are they talking about
at this time of global distress..

The virus will disappear on the 27 of March.

Not surprised, if people can use salt and what was it then to bath... What is chloroquine? God please save us from our own ignorance and paranoia. Amen.