“The US-led global arrogance and hegemonic system is hostile not only to our ruling system but also to our people and our citizens,” Esmaeili said in a press conference on Tuesday.
The cruel and unilateral sanctions imposed by the US against Iran, including those hampering the country’s medicine imports are a clear example of criminal moves by the US-led global arrogance, he added.
He emphasized that while the US is not expected to lift the sanctions because of its endless enmity, there is expectation from European countries that claim to be independent.
“Today is the time when European countries should prove their independence and their claim of supporting human rights by revoking the US unilateral sanctions, especially in the field of medicine,” he went on to say.
The remarks came as the total number of coronavirus cases in Iran rose to 14,991 on Monday, of whom nearly 5,000 have recovered and left the hospital, according to the Health Ministry.
Speaking at a daily press conference on Monday, Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoosh Jahanpoor said the death toll from COVID-19 in Iran has risen to 853.
Medical staffs in all 31 provinces of Iran have been working tirelessly over the past weeks to contain the novel coronavirus.
First detected in Wuhan city in central China in December, the virus has spread to more than 140 countries.
More than 182,000 have been infected globally, according to the WHO. Of those, about 80,000 have recovered.