The Islamic Republic of Iran has been one of the countries hit hardest by the outbreak of COVID-19. To date, Iran is reporting 83,000 confirmed diagnoses, which would mean they have the eighth-highest amount in the world. Despite this, Iran has struggled more than any other country to contain the coronavirus, a problem that the government blames U.S. economic sanctions for. Before the outbreak of the virus, Iran’s economy was already struggling to handle the repercussions of sanctions imposed by the Trump Administration related to Iran’s nuclear program and financing of terror organizations across the Middle East. With much of Iran now locked down due to the virus, its economy has entered into an even more precarious situation, evidenced by President Hassan Rouhani saying during a cabinet meeting that the country didn’t have the resources to support the country under a full quarantine. As a result of this predicament, Iran has turned to international organizations for financial support. This task was made more difficult by the American sanctions which bar Iran from receiving aid from many institutions.
The U.S. sanctions on Iran are connected to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and funding of terror organizations across the Middle East. Shortly after taking office, President Trump pulled out of the Obama-era deal that curtailed Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. President Trump long harbored a belief that Iran was cheating on the deal by continuing to seek ways to build a nuclear weapon, and reinstated sanctions. Sanctions are also imposed on the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, an ideological wing of the Iranian military which is largely responsible for extending Iranian influence across the Middle East. Iranian leaders have called the sanctions “economic terrorism” and repeatedly called for them to be lifted.
Iran’s desire for the sanctions to be lifted has multiplied exponentially with the outbreak of the coronavirus, with the Islamic Republic’s leaders blaming the United States for preventing humanitarian aid and medical materials from reaching the country. However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a briefing that humanitarian materials such as medical equipment were not subject to the sanctions, and that Iran had rejected an offer from the United States to provide health-care assistance to the Iranian people. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei confirmed as much during a television address, saying that the United States had offered its assistance “several times.” Khamenei said Iran had rejected the offers because of conspiracy theories floated by Chinese officials that the virus had originated in the United States, and any medicine provided by the U.S. was more likely to increase the spread of COVID-19 in Iran. While medical supplies are not technically subject to the sanctions, the economic impact of the sanctions on Iranian firms has made it extremely difficult for them to procure the requisite materials.
Despite rejecting the United States’ offer of assistance, Iran has appealed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an emergency loan of $5 billion. The IMF had circulated an offer for countries battling the pandemic to apply for emergency loans, and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said that his country’s central bank had done just that. However, Iran’s central bank is under U.S. sanctions for financing terror activity in the Middle East, which prevents the IMF from fulfilling its loan. Certain member states have been sympathetic to Iran’s plight, and have supported its request, but the United States has remained steadfast in its obstruction. The European Union approved a 20-million Euro loan to Tehran to fight the virus, and Russia and China have both urged Washington to temporarily drop its sanctions to allow humanitarian aid to reach Iran. 2020 Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden and several Democratic senators have also called for the sanctions to be temporarily dropped.
The Trump Administration, led by Secretary of State Pompeo, has said that if Iran is given the IMF loan, the funds will be diverted away from medical purposes and used to further the Iranian government’s regional goals. Pompeo also said that Iran had more than enough money on hand to fight the virus, but that it was being used in the wrong way, such as developing its military and nuclear program. The Trump Administration is in favor of giving Iran aid which would go directly to healthcare for the Iranian people, and not to the government. This contingent has been made clear by the Trump Administration, which has sought to emphasize that they are not standing in the way of direct aid reaching Iranians.
President Trump has reiterated his willingness to help Iran in recent days, saying his administration could provide medical equipment such as ventilators to Iran, if they asked for it. The president said that Iran had clearly been hit very hard by the virus, and that he would have a “moral responsibility” to assist the country in its fight against the pandemic if President Rouhani or another Iranian government official asked. President Trump also reiterated that Iran’s leaders should come to the negotiating table over the sanctions in general, saying he would “love to meet.”
Despite Iran’s continued requests for financial assistance from the international community, the Iranian government has taken measures that many countries are questioning. One such example is its reticence to quarantine its holy cities which attract thousands of Shia pilgrims. President Hassan Rouhani has said that he is keeping the country functioning as normally as possible to prevent fear and stave off economic collapse. Another questionable measure taken by the Iranian government is the revocation of a permit issued to Doctors Without Borders to provide medical support to Iranians in the city of Isfahan. Iran’s Ministry of Health said in a statement that the country didn’t need any outside help to manage its cases. These actions by Iran’s government have hurt its credibility with the international community, which in turn has had an impact on the support it receives. Countries are questioning Iran’s motives in demanding financial relief, but rejecting tangible efforts to assist vulnerable Iranians. This game of cat and mouse will likely continue so long as Iran’s actions don’t correspond with its words.
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