MNA � Iranian ambassador to Brussels Gholamhossein Dehghani, in a letter to EU�s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has called on the bloc to join other international organizations in calling for an end to US sanctions amid the pandemic.

In a letter to EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on Saturday, Iranian ambassador to Brussels, Gholamhossein Dehghani described the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic on Iran amid the impact of US illegal sanctions and called on EU member states to oppose the continuation of the US s unilateral sanctions.

He pointed to the shortage of vital medical equipment in Iran for fighting the pandemic and said, "We have lost some of our best doctors and nurses, as well as 3,294 other fellow citizens to the virus and another 53,000 people have become infected."

"The US unilateral and illegal sanctions imposed on Iran under the guise of the maximum pressure campaign undermine Iran's ability to effectively fight the virus in the long run without international support,� he warned.

�Iran's request for rejecting the US inhumane sanctions has been welcomed by some international organizations, and the relevant officials have described the continued economic sanctions in violation of the rights of ordinary citizens to enjoy their basic rights,� he added.

Dehghani further called on Borrell to bring the issue to the attention of EU foreign ministers so that they too can stand with the Iranian people and support the legitimate demand of the people to end US sanctions, which violate international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

�Although each country is experiencing this situation separately and individually, it is not possible to get out of the crisis caused by the outbreak of coronavirus except through collective action,� he concluded.