TEHRAN – In a tweet on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed as “fake news” claims by his U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo that Washington is seeking to contribute to relief operations in Iran, saying the "Iranian Red Crescent can't receive any funds due to illegal U.S. sanctions".

On Tuesday, Pompeo claimed that the United States “stands ready to assist and contribute to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which would then direct the money through the Iranian Red Crescent for relief."

Earlier on Tuesday Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said U.S. sanctions have hampered relief support from foreign donors.

In October 2018, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered that the United States had to halt the unilateral sanctions it has re-imposed on "humanitarian" supplies.

On Monday, Zarif stressed that the economic restrictions, which Washington is deploying against Tehran under the banner of “maximum pressure”, are violating the related UN and ICJ regulations.

Zarif has said the U.S. is waging “economic terrorism” against Iran by employing restrictive measures that are troubling the relief efforts targeting flood-stricken people across the country.

Unprecedented floods have caused great damages in Iran, killing 57 people and disrupting major transportation and communications.  The most affected provinces are Golestan in the north and Lorestan, Kermanshah, Ilam and Khuzestan in the west and southwest.

PA/PA