TEHRAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th April, 2020) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran's fight against the coronavirus pandemic has been more effective than many European states saying that the country must also contend with the "virus of sanctions," media reported Sunday.
"We acted better than [Europe] in fighting against the coronavirus, thanks to the efforts by people, the medical staff, the state radio and tv, Armed Forces, the cyberspace and artists. The reason is that all of us stand beside each other and united but you are not," Rouhani said, addressing the National Coronavirus Campaign Headquarters in Tehran, Fars news Agency reported.
Rouhani added that the country's effort against the pandemic was further dogged by crippling US sanctions.
"We have the coronavirus problem like you, but we have also been dealing with a virus worse than the coronavirus which is the sanctions, while you don't have this problem," he added.
Iran's epidemiological situation quickly deteriorated following the detection of the first cases of infection in late February, but the rate of infection and death from the virus appears to have slowed in the past week.
Health Ministry Spokesman Kainoush Jahanpour on Saturday placed the total number of infected in the country at just above 70,000 with 4,357 fatalities so far.�
