Coronavirus comes at center of US-Iran tensions

Islam Mohamed

The coronavirus outbreak around the world has done nothing to calm down tensions between the United States, on one hand, and Iran, on the other.

These tensions keep piling up in the Gulf region, especially after Iranian speedboats harassed American warships in the Gulf of Hormuz.

Over 6,000 Iranians have died from the coronavirus so far, according to official estimates. In the U.S., virus fatalities exceeded 50,000. The economies of the two countries are suffering greatly because of the virus outbreak.

However, the two sides are using the virus outbreak in stepping up their hostilities towards each other. Iran is using its proxies, including its militias in Iraq, to settle its scores with the U.S.

Tehran has tried to use the coronavirus in ratcheting up its media and diplomatic pressures on Washington to lift the economic sanctions it has been imposing on it since August 2018.

It has done this by accusing the U.S. of hampering the international fight against the coronavirus.

Iran also submitted a request at the International Monetary Fund for a loan of $5 billion to use in the purchase of medicines, food and equipment necessary for its battle against the coronavirus.

However, Washington opposed the request, accusing Iran of planning to use these funds in backing Shiite militias in the region.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch held the U.S. responsible for Iran’s failure to fight the coronavirus properly.

International companies, it said, are afraid to provide Iran with supplies not included in the sanctions for fear of punishment from the U.S. government.