“The banking and financial restrictions imposed do not identify whether you are purchasing humanitarian items or not. When a bank deems it risky to do business with Iran, it simply closes the door,” Zarif told Folha De S.Paulo on Saturday.

In addition, European manufacturers of medical equipment do not sell their products to Iran because the U.S. is threatening them with penalties, added Zarif. “There are several ways through which the United States is practicing economic and medical terrorism against Iran. Looking at it from a legal perspective, it is a crime against humanity.”

Asked about U.S.’ official offer of help to Iran, Zarif said that that offer was ‘hypocritical’. “A few days ago, [Secretary of State] Pompeo asked other countries to set conditions to help Iran with the fight against coronavirus. All the United States needs to do is to stop interfering.”

“We will take care of ourselves and have enough friends in the world to help us. Stop economic terrorism. If you are not ready to do this, then we ask the world to stop just watching this bullying. This is inhumane.”

“Iranians are dying and people are accepting American bullying just in the hope that they will not be hit. This will not work.”

Calls for lifting unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran has increased during the recent weeks as the country is facing problems with buying its required medicine and equipment to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, Washington has announced that it will not abandon the maximum pressure policy. 

Iran is one of the hard-hit countries by the virus. As of Saturday, the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Iran rose to 1,556 with 20,610 confirmed cases.