US’ bullying behavior better revealed during outbreak: spokesman

“The bullying of the United States is being more portrayed during the coronavirus outbreak era and the US administration does not pay attention to ethical policies,” said Ali Rabiei on Monday in a presser held through video conference.

The remarks come as US has refused to lift illegal sanctions against Iran even amid the pandemic despite calls from many countries and international bodies. Meanwhile, the European signatories of the JCPOA, which have promised to secure Iran’s economic interests after US withdrawal from the deal, have recently announced the completion of the first transaction of a financial channel, dubbed INSTEX, which aims to ease trade with Iran by ditching US sanctions.

“There is progress regarding INSTEX but this is not enough,” said Rabiei. “European countries should take more steps towards fulfilling their commitments.”

He also pointed to the status of Iran’s loan request from the International Monetary Fund, saying, “We have not yet received an official negative response from the body.”

Iran has requested a $5 billion loan from the IMF to finance the fight against COVID-19 outbreak in the country but the international body has not yet confirmed Iran’s request.

Iran is one of the hardest-hit countries by the virus with more than 60,000 infections and above 3,700 deaths as of Monday.

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