Sanders calls on Trump admin to suspend sanctions on Iran amid coronavirus outbreak

In a tweet on Wednesday, Sanders wrote: "Coronavirus has killed 2,600 in Iran, but U.S. sanctions are obstructing medicine and aid from getting in."

"@SecPompeo and@stevenmnuchin1: Pandemics know no borders. Let us put aside our countries' disputes and lift sanctions to reduce human suffering."

Sanders' tweet came while more than 30 US lawmakers said in a letter to top US officials on Tuesday that the Trump administration should suspend sweeping US sanctions on Iran that are hindering the country’s response to its coronavirus outbreak.

The congressional letter was addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

“Allowing this crisis to become more dire in Iran threatens significant harm not only to the people of Iran but also to people in the United States and around the world,” the letter said.

The sanctions could be costing lives in Iran, which is enduring one of the largest flare-ups of the pandemic in the world. On Tuesday, the total number of confirmed infections reached 44,606 in Iran, with a total death toll of 2,898.

In a tweet in Arabic on Tuesday, Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif lashed out at the US policies during coronavirus pandemic underlining that Americans are seeking revenge through a human disaster.

MNA/