Rouhani says Iran experiencing its toughest year because of US sanctions & pandemic

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on June 28 said that the country is suffering from its worst financial crisis because of the harsh US sanctions and coronavirus outbreak. Rouhani during a televised speech on Sunday said that 2020 has been the most difficult year for Iran because of the continuing economic pressure by the enemy, referring to the United States, and also because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Rouhani also announced that wearing face coverings will compulsory in Iran starting from July 5. 

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Iran is battling with the worst financial crisis it has seen in decades with the country's rial dropping to its lowest value ever at 1,90,000 rials for each dollar. The country is suffering because of the strict sanctions from the United States that the current US President Donald Trump imposed after unilaterally withdrawing from the Obama-era nuclear deal in 2018. The harsh sanctions have caused Iran's oil export to fall sharply, which is also the country's main source of income. The US sanctions have forced oil buyers to look for other options, excluding Iran. 

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COVID-19 in Iran

According to figures by Johns Hopkins University, Iran has recorded 2,20,180 confirmed coronavirus infections so far, of which more than 10,000 people have lost their lives. Iran has one of the highest infection rates anywhere the world, currently sitting at number ten in the list of most affected countries in terms of the number of cases reported to date. As per reports, experts and officials both in Iran and abroad have cast doubts on the official figures that have been revealed by authorities, experts have claimed that the real number of positive cases and deaths could be much higher than what has been reported.

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(Image Credit: AP)