The Russian Foreign Ministry sees the US sanctions against Iran as a threat to the health of the Middle Eastern nation. Under the current situation with coronavirus, when all countries should demonstrate the united front against pathogen’s spreading, the economic sanctions need to be lifted by Washington.
Moscow urges the White House to remove sanctions against Iran which created an obstacle to Tehran’s campaign against coronavirus. In his recent address to the nation, the Iranian leader Rohani stressed that US sanctions have imposed $200b losses on Iran, The sanctions also have hampered Iran’s campaign to contain COVID-19 outbreak.
In addition, the Russian ministry of foreign affairs says in its statement that the main reason behind a large number of coronavirus cases in Iran is the US sanctions restricting Iran to provide medical and emergency supplies against the pathogen outbreak.
Over recent months, the US maximizes its economic pressure on Iran, which made millions of Iranian citizens unable to be provided with medicines, Hassan Rouhani said in a statement. The cruel and ‘inhuman policy by the US’ caused a serious humanitarian crisis in Iran, the president said.
Following this, the Russian top diplomat referred to Iran firm determination to be committed to nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Sergey Lavrov also stressed Russian principled determination to preserve JCPOA, saying that the Russian Federation is ready to help bring back a balanced and stable situation.
This week, the Iranian government had to temporarily free about 85,000 prisoners in an effort to combat the fast-spreading of coronavirus. As the judiciary spokesman in the country said, the unpopular but effective measure should help to curb the spreading of the pathogen.
“Some 50% of those released are security-related prisoners… also in the jails we have taken precautionary measures to confront the outbreak,” Gholamhossein Esmaili said quoting the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran.
The official has asked Tehran on 10 March to free all political prisoners from the Iranian overcrowded and disease-ridden jails.
