Published 20:14 IST, April 9th 2020
Donald Trump says he has 'no objection' with Europe's medical aid to Iran
US President Donald Trump has said that he has no objections with European countries sending medical aid to Iran which has reported 64,586 cases and 3,993 death
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US President Donald Trump has said that he has no objections with European countries sending medical aid to Iran. US-Iran relationship became strained after Trump imposed heavy sanctions on the Shiite nation accusing it of developing nuclear weapons. Iran has become the hub of coronavirus infection in the Middle East with 64,586 cases and 3,993 deaths. On March 30, three European nations UK, Germany and France had circumvented Iran sanctions by using 'Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges' for the first time to send medical goods to Iran.
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Speaking at a White House news briefing, President Trump said, “They (Europeans) are sending medical goods to Iran. That doesn't bother me.” He also said that he wasn’t affected by the recent phone call made by French President Emmanuel Macron to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Previously, US' Secretary of States Mike Pompeo had said that they had offered “humanitarian assistance" to the Islamist republic adding that he regrets that they had declined the proposal.
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Pompeo, in a White House news conference, had asserted, "The world should note there are no sanctions that prevent humanitarian assistance, pharmaceutical medical supplies, pharmaceuticals from going to Iran. We offered American assistance; we try to help other countries get assistance there as well. We had some ability to do that."
600 die in Iran
Meanwhile, a tragedy struck Iran as 600 people died after consuming high-concentrated alcohol, which they misbelieved as a cure for Coronavirus. Apart from a monumental death toll, thousands of Iranians were left poisoned after guzzling methanol, state media reported. Iran's news agency Tasnim quoted an Iranian judiciary saying that over 3,000 people were affected. The ambiguous nature of the novel Coronavirus sparked the wild rumour, which appended to the existing health crisis in the country. The incident occurred despite alcohol being banned in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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20:14 IST, April 9th 2020