Tehran Doubts Washington Intentions in Offering Coronavirus Aid
IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK
TEHRAN – Foreign Ministry Spokesman says Iran does not count on the United States for help in its battle against the coronavirus because it does not trust Washington’s alleged offer of assistance.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday the U.S. was willing to help the Iranians with the problem, adding “all they have to do is ask,” just after he authorized the expansion of travel restrictions against Iran.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Monday, “We have had doubts and continue to have doubts about the intentions of Americans. If they had good intentions, they would not have publicized the aid first in the media with propagandist aims.”
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday detailed Trump’s heightened travel bans against Iranians in a press conference from the White House.
Mousavi said, “We monitor the Americans’ positions. We have already seen how much they acted against Iran and our capabilities and toward weakening the people, and those actions still continue.”
“We doubt the intentions of Americans, and do not count on these aids and are not ready to receive verbal aid either,” he added.
He touched on a Swiss channel announced in December to bring food and medicine to Iran, saying the U.S. government has even been stonewalling efforts to have it up and running.
The spokesman said most of Iran’s needs to contain the coranavirus and treat patients exist in the country, but that its friends have also announced their readiness to help the Islamic Republic.
“Turkey, China and the Red Cross have helped us. Some countries in the region have also said they are ready to cooperate,” he said.
Mousavi, however, reserved his special thanks for China. “The Chinese government has fully stood by the Iranian people and sent several medical shipments to Iran.”
China also sent a scientific team for research on finding a vaccine for the coronavirus and to transfer their latest findings to their Iranian peers, he added.
“This is a good example of international cooperation. If all fulfill their obligations with this seriousness and goodwill, we will definitely have a better world,” Mousavi said.
Mousavi also called for full commitment of Europeans to their JCPOA obligations.
He said “in the recent Joint Commission of JCPOA, no talks were held about referring Iran’s case to Security Council or activation of the trigger mechanism.”
“In the meeting, Iran discussed its stances and reasons as well as FM Zarif’s 17-page-letter to Mr. Borrel,” he added.
He noted that the JCPOA, besides some security achievements, has had some economic achievements in its early years of endorsement, which cannot be denied.
“It is essential that Europeans fully commit to their JCPOA obligations,” he underlined.
The 15th joint commission meeting was held on February 26, at the level of deputy foreign ministers and director generals of P4+1, with the representatives of EU, Germany, France, Russia, China, the UK, and Iran in attendance.
