国际英语新闻:Iran's president calls for removal of U.S. sanctions amid COVID-19 outbreak

TEHRAN, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Friday urged the American people to press the U.S. government to lift sanctions against Iran as the country is fighting against COVID-19, according to Iran's presidential website.

"U.S. sanctions have targeted major sectors of Iran's financial and economic system, which has inflicted hundreds of dollars of loss to Iran's economy and people," Rouhani said.

"U.S. government sanctions have made many ordinary Iranians lose their health, jobs and income. Besides, the U.S. sanctions have drained Iran's power in the fight against the novel coronavirus," said Rouhani.

He stressed that it is the time for the American people to urge their government to remove sanctions against Iran.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the U.S. "inhuman" sanctions are "killing Iranian citizens" amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education said on Friday that a total of 19,644 people have been infected with the novel coronavirus, of whom 1,433 have died.