Posted on 04/01/2020 10:23:17 AM PDT by SJackson
Iran’s president said on Wednesday that, with the advent of the coronavirus, the United States had missed a historic opportunity to lift sanctions on his country, though the penalties had not hampered its fight against the infection.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raised the possibility that Washington might consider easing sanctions on Iran and other nations to help fight the epidemic, but gave no concrete sign it plans to do so.
“The United States lost the best opportunity to lift sanctions,” Hassan Rouhani said in a televised cabinet meeting. “It was a great opportunity for Americans to apologize … and to lift the unjust and unfair sanctions on Iran.”
The coronavirus has killed more than 3,000 people in Iran with confirmed infections close to 48,000, making it the worst-hit country in the Middle East and prompting China and the United Nations to urge the United States to ease sanctions.
Friction between Tehran and Washington has increased since 2018, when US President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six nations and re-imposed sanctions, crippling Iran’s economy.
Trump has adopted a “maximum pressure” policy on Iran aimed at persuading Tehran to negotiate a broader deal that further constrains its nuclear program, limits its missile program and curbs its use of proxy forces in Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.
Washington has offered humanitarian assistance to its longtime foe. But Iran’s top authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has rejected the offer.
Although Iranian authorities have said US sanctions had hindered its efforts to curb the outbreak, Rouhani said: “The sanctions have failed to hamper our efforts to fight against the coronavirus outbreak.”
“We are almost self-sufficient in producing all necessary equipment to fight the coronavirus. We have been much more successful than many other countries in the fight against this disease,” Rouhani said.
Several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, China, Britain, France, Qatar and Turkey, have sent shipments of medical supplies, including gloves and surgical masks, to Iran.
In the first transaction conducted under a trade mechanism set up to barter humanitarian goods and food after Washington’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Germany said on Tuesday that France, Germany and Britain had exported medical goods to Iran.
Trump to RouhaniIdiot: Get wrecked!
Translation: US has lost opportunity to shoot itself in the foot. What a shame.
Wow. Just wow. What a diplomat. I'm sure this remark will help the suffering Iranian people.
How, or more importantly WHY, do we need the “opportunity” to lift sanctions on the a-holes?
Let it burn.
F**k off, Rouhani.
I'll start. Rouhani, I'm sorry you're still wasting oxygen. Feel better?
rouhani's statement is a result of living in an unreal alternate reality.
Ah yeah, I doubt we’re looking at that as a missed opportunity.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
..................
Oh well. We lost our chance.
Yes, because NOW we are supposed to trust terrorists.
I’m sure this is the top of the President’s to do list...
DK
“The United States lost the best opportunity to lift sanctions,” Hassan Rouhani said in a televised cabinet meeting. “It was a great opportunity for Americans to apologize … and to lift the unjust and unfair sanctions on Iran”
OMG!!!Did we REALLY act too late and now have missed the opportunity to apologize and lift the sanctions on our good friends in Iran? This is OUTRAGEOUS and I demand hearings into this awful handling of this situation.
I say IMPEACH!!
He’s right. We should apologize...
For not nuking these assholes back to the stone age.
This moron expects free born Americans to apologize?
The only “apology” this moron deserves from the American people is that of the upraised middle finger.
Salami, Salami, Baloney!
He needs to go lick a few toilet seats, and door knobs...not the knobs he usually licks.
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