MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. The United States is taking deliberate actions that hamper Iran’s measures to tackle the novel coronavirus outbreak, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
"Iranian President Hassan Rouhani recently said that along with the $200-billion damage already dealt to the economy of the country, the May 2018 unilateral US sanctions, imposed within the framework of the maximum pressure campaign, pose a serious obstacle to efficient measures against the infection," the statement says. "The reason behind the numerous fatalities is not only the infection itself, but also the fact that the US is deliberately hindering efforts to counter it. Millions of Iranian citizens have been deprived of the opportunity to purchase vital medical items, no matter how Washington is trying to distort this fact. We deeply regret, we are alarmed and seriously concerned by the anti-humane US policies."
The Russian Foreign Ministry noted Tehran’s firm determination to remain within the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear program.
"We strongly call upon the United States to face the truth and make the much-needed decision to immediately lift the sanctions that directly affect fundamental human rights in Iran. The global pandemic is not the time to settle geopolitical scores, especially if they are baseless and had been devised by Washington to satisfy its own ambitions," the ministry said.
Moscow once again reaffirmed its "determination to preserve the nuclear deal and readiness to continue efforts aimed at restoring its lost balance of interests and sustainability."
"Russia’s work in this direction is reinforced by simultaneous large-scale projects and assistance to Iran’s economy, beset by problems," the ministry statement says.