Trump refuses to suspend Iran sanctions amid coronavirus outbreak

The US President Donald Trump has said it would not suspend the illegal sanctions on Iran as the country is battling the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

According to Press TV, Iran has said the international community should push the United States to immediately lift all "illegal" sanctions it has imposed on the Islamic Republic amid a national endeavor to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

"The inhumane and illegal US sanctions will jeopardize the health and lives of Iranians and other nations through impeding our capabilities to prevent further spread of the coronavirus to other countries," said the permanent mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in a statement.

"While the United States ties to contain the virus inside the country, it helps the outbreak overseas by undermining professional capabilities of some affected countries which are trying to battle the disease," it added.

No country, the statement added, can tackle the global health issue on its own, a challenge that knows no boundaries.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Friday called on Americans to urge the US government to lift the illegal sanctions against Iran.

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

The illegal actions were announced amid Tehran’s call on world states to defy US sanctions in the midst of Iran’s fight with the coronavirus pandemic.

Washington has been urged by China and Russia, along with others, not to impede Iran’s efforts to contain the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

On Friday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan called for the lifting of "unjust" US sanctions on Iran.

"I would stress and insist to the international community to lift the sanctions on Iran," Khan said at a press conference in Islamabad.

"It is very unjust they are dealing with such a large outbreak on one side, and on the other they are facing international sanctions," he added.

SS