“#Covid19 was opportunity for US to kick its addiction to sanctions. Instead, it will now live in infamy in the memory of our people,” Zarif tweeted on Monday night.

“Despite US sanctions, Iran has made significant progress in fighting the pandemic, thanks to its human & scientific resources, and friends abroad,” he said.

Iran is under illegal sanctions of the United States after the Trump administration withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018. Despite calls from the international community to lift the unilateral sanctions amid the outbreak, Washington has refused to do so and has even reportedly blocked Iran’s request for a $5 billion emergency funds from IMF. Foreign Minister Zarif has described the US efforts as ‘medical terrorism’.

Meanwhile, Iran, which is one of the hardest-hit by the virus with over 73,000 infections as of Monday, has mobilized domestic capacities to fight the outbreak by producing the required equipment.