Murphy had penned a March 26 letter, signed by ten other Democratic senators, asking the Trump administration to lift the bans that prevented Iran and Venezuela from importing medical supplies and other humanitarian goods needed for dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.
“Right now, our sanctions do not allow for that,” Murphy told reporters on the Monday conference call. “If this epidemic continues to grow and spread in Iran it will…result in the death of innocent people.”
“Remember, if we don’t beat it there, we don’t beat it here. This virus doesn’t respect borders,” he added. “It’s just good public health policy to help even our adversaries beat back this scourge.”
While the Islamic Republic is battling the fast-spreading outbreak, the Trump administration refuses to ease up its “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, which were reinstated in 2018 after Trump withdrew the US from the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers.
Iran says US "medical terrorism" against Iranians through imposing toughest-ever sanctions on the country is leading to a "humanitarian catastrophe" as it makes it “impossible” for ordinary people to have access to essential drugs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Iran’s Health Ministry, a total of 73,303 were infected by the new coronavirus as of Monday, of whom 4,585 had lost their lives to the deadly virus.
MNA/FNA13990127000051/PR