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Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday that his country plans to provide for free the anti-flu drug Avigan to 20 countries, including Iran, hoping to use it to treat coronavirus patients.
As Kyodo news reported, the 20 countries receiving the drug, which is currently undergoing clinical tests, include Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Iran, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, with an additional 30 countries showing interest, according to Motegi.
Researchers at Wuhan University and other institutions in China have said the drug was effective on coronavirus patients, especially for those with mild symptoms of COVID-19.
Tehran says the US unilateral and illegal sanctions imposed under the guise of the maximum pressure campaign undermine Iran’s ability to effectively fight the coronavirus in the long run without international support.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday called for the US to stop sanctions on Iran, including oil sanctions.
In a tweet, Zarif wrote, 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,” he added.
Over the past weeks, the international community has been making calls on the US to lift the illegal sanctions, which have hampered Tehran’s access to lifesaving medical supplies as the country is trying to contain the coronavirus and help treat the patients.
Meanwhile, Iran has roundly denounced the US claims for sending aid as hypocritical, saying if the US genuinely sought to help, it should lift its sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic.
As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Iran has reached 62,589, with a total death toll of 3,827.
