Trump could be responsible for death of innocents in Iran: Senator Chris Murphy

TEHRAN - Chris Murphy, the U.S. senator from Connecticut, warned on Monday that the Trump administration could be partially responsible for “the death of innocent people” if it continues its current policies towards Iran amidst the coronavirus epidemic.

Tunisian activists condemn U.S. sanctions on Iran

TEHRAN – A number of Tunisian political activists and jurists have condemned the United States sanctions on Iran when the country is fighting the coronavirus.

Zarif: Significant progress made in coronavirus fight despite sanctions

TEHRAN — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran has made significant progress in fighting the coronavirus outbreak in spite of the United States’ sanctions.

Rouhani says U.S. imperialism is ‘more dangerous’ than coronavirus

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said late on Monday that the United States imperialism is a virus that is “more dangerous than the coronavirus” for the international community.

Iran’s permanent mission to UN says ‘emergency aid is not the panacea’

Sanctions function as enemy’s fifth column in coronavirus fight: Iran

TEHRAN - Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations said in a message on Sunday that in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, sanctions function as enemy’s “fifth column”.

‘Policy of maximum pressure shows lack of knowledge about containing coronavirus, Iranian ambassador to France says

TEHRAN - Bahram Qassemi, Iran’s ambassador to France, has said that those who impose policy of sanctions and maximum pressure do not know fighting the coronavirus pandemic requires collective efforts.

Imposition of sanctions is violation of human rights: MP

TEHRAN - Abolfazl Mousavi, an Iranian MP, has said that in a situation in which the world is fighting the coronavirus pandemic, imposing sanctions and refusing to remove them violate human rights.

Persian language scholars ask U.S. to lift sanctions on Iran in coronavirus pandemic

TEHRAN – 400 Iranologists and scholars on the Persian language from Iran and across the world have signed a statement issued by Iran’s Sadi Foundation asking the United States government to lift its sanctions against Iran during the days the world is fighting the COVID-19 outbreak.

Rouhani urges IMF to fulfill duties toward corona-hit countries

TEHRAN– President Hassan Rouhani called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) not to follow the US bullying and shoulder its responsibilities toward other countries, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Zarif says Iran does not need charity from Trump

TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that Iran is rich in human and natural resources and does not need charity from U.S. President Donald Trump to contain the outbreak of the coronavirus.

'Trump more dangerous than coronavirus': Iran’s security chief 

TEHRAN - A top Iranian security official has called U.S. President Donald Trump "more dangerous than coronavirus",  saying moves to block vital medical supplies to fight coronavirus from reaching Iran was tantamount to crimes against humanity.

Former world officials: U.S. sanctions compromising Iran healthcare system amidst pandemic

A group of 24 senior diplomats and defense officials have called on U.S. President Donald Trump to make a targeted effort to ease Washington's rules, which prevent Tehran from trading in medical and humanitarian goods, in order to save “potentially hundreds of thousands of lives” across the Middle East amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Carleton University professor: U.S. refusal to ease sanctions on Iran ‘regrettable’

TEHRAN - Dane Rowlands, a professor at Carleton University, has said it is “regrettable” that the United States is refusing to ease sanctions on Iran while the country is fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

By staff and agency

Human Rights Watch urges Washington to lift sanctions on Iran

The Human Rights Watch has urged the United States’ government to ease sanctions on Iran in the coronavirus crisis.

The world needs to cooperate against the coronavirus—so lift sanctions on Iran: National Interest

At the start of 2020 much of the world anxiously watched as open confrontation between the United States and Iran quickly escalated with the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. World War III memes began trending as we awaited Iran’s response.

Iran facing food, medicine sanctions for years, says ex-MP

TEHRAN — A former lawmaker says despite the United States’ rhetoric, Iran has been facing food and medicine sanctions for years.

Without brutal sanctions COVID-19 can be managed better, vice president says

TEHRAN — If the obstacles created by the “brutal” U.S. sanctions are removed, Iran can control the spread of coronavirus in a better way, Iran's Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri said on Saturday.

Tourism minister proposes days off after coronavirus crisis ends

TEHRAN – Iranian tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan on Saturday proposed the government to announce days off after the country overcomes the coronavirus crisis in a bid to help the battered tourism sector make a rebound.

150 Iranian academics write to UN chief, call for sanctions end

TEHRAN — In a letter addressed to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, 150 Iranian activists and academics called for an end to anti-Iran sanctions.

G77, China demand end to U.S. sanctions amid coronavirus pandemic

TEHRAN- The Group of 77 (G-77) and China, in a statement on Friday, called for an end to unilateral sanctions against developing countries amid the coronavirus crisis, warning the sanctions could slow down efforts to tackle the pandemic.

EU urges suspension of U.S. sanctions on Iran

TEHRAN – Foreign ministers of the European Union have urged suspension of the United States’ sanctions against countries, including Iran, in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Iranian diplomat says U.S. sanctions will lead to humanitarian catastrophe

TEHRAN – Iran’s Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, said on Friday that the United States’ sanctions will lead to a “humanitarian catastrophe” in the world.

Biden calls for sanctions relief for Iran during coronavirus pandemic

Former Vice President Joe Biden called for the government to ease its sanctions on Iran as the country struggles to contain an exploding coronavirus outbreak.

Hashemi writes to global metropolises on the need to lift Iran sanctions amid Covid-19 crisis

TEHRAN - The chairman of the Tehran City Council, Mohsen Hashemi, planned to write a letter to the heads of a number of metropolises across the world about the need to lift sanctions on Iran as the country is grappling with the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, the council’s spokesman Ali A’ta announced on Tuesday.

Sanctions hampering Iran's access to medicine: Washington Post:

The Washington Post said on Sunday that U.S. sanctions have hampered Iran's efforts to import medicine and other medical supplies needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic. 

World will fail again if pandemic fails to stop unilateralism, Zarif warns

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that if the global coronavirus pandemic fails to stop melancholy in politics and irresponsible unilateralism, the world and its "moral values will fail again".

Analyst calls sanctions on Iran ‘a moral abomination’

TEHRAN - The Trump administration’s move to impose further sanctions against Iran at a time when the country is battling the new coronavirus pandemic is a “moral abomination,” an American political analyst said on Saturday.

By Khairunnisa Aga

Iran sanctions: Facade of human rights and white feminism

NEWDELHI - Some people argue that the U.S. sanctions on Iran are a way to punish the country for its nuclear ambitions, even though it has brought untold misery to the ordinary Iranian people. It's a well-known fact that the crippling sanctions are like a war against the people, and it hardly serves the purpose of the imposer.

UN chief urges rolling back sanctions to contain coronavirus pandemic

United Nations leadership on Tuesday called for rolling back international sanctions regimes around the world, saying they are heightening the health risks for millions of people and weakening the global effort to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, Foreign Policy reported on March 24.

Sanctions on Iran will hinder global response to coronavirus, Iranian envoy to UN warns

Majid Ravanchi, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, has said the illegal U.S. sanctions on Iran is “badly impeding Iran’s efforts to contain” the coronavirus pandemic.