By Yaghoub Fazeli

DUBAI -- The only way the US can help Iran against the coronavirus is by lifting sanctions on the republic, President Hassan Rohani said on Tuesday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Iran is the epicenter of coronavirus in the Middle East, with the government reporting 6,340 deaths and 99,970 cases as of Tuesday.

“If the Americans are honest and want to help against the coronavirus, the only way to do so is by lifting the illegal sanctions on Iran,” Rohani said during a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

US sanctions have caused Iran “many problems” with medical equipment and food, Rohani claimed.

The US says its sanctions on Iran are not preventing aid from getting to the country. It has refused to ease sanctions against Iran and opposed Tehran’s request for a $5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The US is concerned the Islamic republic will spend the money abroad on its regional proxies in terrorism efforts instead of using it to help ordinary Iranians.

Iran has been able to import coronavirus testing kits since January.

Rohani had said on April 1 that US sanctions “have failed to hamper our efforts to fight against the coronavirus.”

Rohani had also said on April 22 that Iran can export coronavirus testing kits to other countries and that there is no shortage of health supplies in the country.

Iran has rejected US help against coronavirus on several occasions and instead launched a campaign calling for the sanctions against the republic to be lifted, claiming they hinder Iran’s access to medicine and medical supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Given this, the Iranian opposition has accused the republic of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to lobby for sanctions relief. -- Al Arabiya English