Iran Rejects Trump Help Offer, Says Only Wants Bans Removed

TEHRAN (defapress) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed that the Islamic Republic needs no charity from Donald Trump amid its battle against the coronavirus, calling on the US president to lift the sanctions instead.

News ID: 80752

Date: 08 April 2020 - 11:16

"Iran is rich in human & natural resources. We don't need charity from @realDonaldTrump —who's forced to buy ventilators from sources he's sanctioned. What we want is for him to STOP preventing Iran from selling oil & other products, buying its needs & making & receiving payments,” Zarif tweeted on Tuesday evening.

The tweet came after Trump recently said he would only have a "moral responsibility" to help Iran in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic if leaders of the country asked for assistance. "Well they haven't even asked us to do that," said Trump, when asked by Al Jazeera correspondent if the United States would consider easing sanctions on Iran in light of the global outbreak.

"If they want to meet, we'd love to meet and we'd settle the whole thing out," he added.

Iran has been among the countries hardest hit by the new coronavirus, which first showed up in China in late December 2019 before spreading to other parts of the world.

Iran’s Health Ministry spokesman announced on Tuesday that more than 27,000 coronavirus patients have recovered from the disease so far and have left the hospital.

Kianoosh Jahanpoor said the number of people tested positive for COVID-19 across the country has reached 62,589 following the detection of 2,089 new cases since Monday.