The Iranian regime blasted President Donald Trump for his “repulsive and hypocritical” offer of assistance on Friday in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Trump first made the offer during his address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland last month, where he declared that all Iran needed to do “was ask” if they wanted medical assistance in combatting the outbreak.
“If we can help the Iranians with this problem, we are certainly willing to do so,” he said during his address. “All they have to do is ask. We will have great professionals over there.”
On Thursday, Trump repeated his offer, stating that Iran is “facing a tremendous problem” and reminding them that the U.S. has “the greatest doctors in the world.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abbas Mousavi used the offer as an opportunity to complain about U.S. economic sanctions imposed over the regime’s nuclear program.
“Instead of hypocritical displays of compassion and repulsive bragging, you should end your economic and medical terrorism so that medicine and medical supplies can reach medical staff and the Iranian people,” Mousavi tweeted on Friday.
“We do not need American doctors,” he added, instead suggesting that the U.S. should prioritize its own people over Iranians.
Iran is currently facing the most severe outbreak after China, where the virus originated. According to the latest statistics released by Iran’s Health Ministry, a source which itself is unreliable, Wuhan coronavirus has this week claimed a further 85 lives, bringing the total number of deaths to 514.
“Sadly, 85 people infected with the COVID-19 disease have died in the past 24 hours,” ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a televised news conference on Friday. “Across the country, at least 1,289 infected people have been added to the list of confirmed patients. The total number of patients has therefore reached 11,364 cases.”
The Iranian regime has largely blamed the high number of deaths on U.S. economic sanctions. This week, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote to the U.N. Secretary-General to complain that the sanctions imposed in November 2018 have caused “serious impediments” to their response efforts.
In his letter, Zarif described U.S. sanctions as “obstacles to the sale of medicine, medical supplies and humanitarian goods,” adding that their ability to freely sell oil as well as banking and insurance sanctions has made it all but impossible to place subsidies on the cost of basic goods.
The Chief of Staff to the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, confirmed Iran’s security forces will empty the streets of its cities over the next 24 hours to continue efforts to contain the virus. “Our law enforcement and security committees, along with the interior ministry and provincial governors, will be clearing shops, streets, and roads,” he said on Friday. “This will take place in the next 24 hours.”
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.
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