President Assures Iranians of Efforts to Control Coronavirus

Addressing a session of the cabinet of ministers on Sunday, Rouhani assured the Iranian people that his administration will do its utmost to protect people's health amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, saying, "We have immediately formed the headquarters for combatting and preventing it."

All governmental bodies, the Armed Forces and public institutions will do whatever they can to combat coronavirus, he added. "Our aim is to control the disease in the shortest time possible with the least possible casualties. The Ministry of Health and Medical Education is responsible for this, and any arbitrary action by other individuals or bodies will not be tolerated whatsoever."

He also appreciated people for taking part in the February 21 nationwide elections, saying, "In one of the toughest times of the life of the Islamic Revolution and in tough economic, social and political times, the Iranian nation took to the ballot box and decided for their own future to honor elections and defend their own right to choose."

"We need to keep the institution of elections in Iran alive, and regardless of the results and the elected persons' political views, I appreciate people's attendance," the president’s official website quoted him as saying.

"Just as the president does not represent only the 24 million people who voted for him, but the entire 41 million voters and the entire Iranian nation, the parliament is everybody's representative from its inauguration day,” he said.

"Now people expect the respectful representatives to act based on national interests and rights of the entire Iranian nation. Based on the constitution, every representative in the parliament is responsible for not only their constituency, but also the entire Iranian nation," Rouhani added.

The president also went on to say, "From its first day in office, the government of prudence and hope wanted to increase competition in elections by defending the right to attendance, and despite some strict approaches, it attempted to increase political attendance in its overt and covert negotiations."

"I would like to thank all those who worked hard to hold the elections across the country. I would also like to thank the Police for maintaining security and the media for covering the elections closely," he said.

The pesident also pointed to a recent move by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) against Iran, saying, "In the case of the FATF, the government and parliament had clear views and they did all executive measures and approved all four bills, including Palermo and CFT. The government wanted to announce the serious decision of the state in fighting money laundering and organized crimes and financing terrorism".

“The FATF took the undecidedness of a group, which is out of the authority of the government and the parliament, as pretext to make a decision against the interests of the Iranian nation, and as it was expected, it made the US happy, justifying intensification of unjust, inhumane sanctions," he deplored.

"Now is the time for those who gave America the pretext to come and take the accountability for their unprofessional stances," Rouhani added.

He said the Central Bank of Iran and the economic and trade bodies have made the necessary planning for trade under sanctions and are trying to minimize its negative impacts on the international trade, saying, "Of course, the US' sanctions are more limiting than those of the FATF, but the government was trying not to let their decision authorize the US government to put more pressure on our trade partners."

“The great Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic did not deserve to be placed in an international body's countermeasures list while we are pioneers of fighting against terrorism and money laundering,” he concluded.