US Blocking of Iran’s IMF Loan Request Politically-Motivated: Russia
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Russian deputy foreign minister said Washington’s attempts to block an Iranian request for an emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund are politically-motivated.
"The US move, which is politically motivated to block the transfer of loans, including emergency financing in the face of a humanitarian crisis, to countries such as Iran and Syria, is unacceptable,” Alexander Pankin told Rossiya Segodnya on Monday.
Pankin further called on the IMF to take a transparent and non-discriminatory approach and help the needy and vulnerable amid the deadly pandemic.
In March, Iran asked the IMF for $5 billion in emergency funding to assist its measures seeking to counter the spread of the coronavirus.
However, Washington has moved to block Iran’s request for the loan, according to various reports.
Senior Iranian officials have repeatedly urged the IMF to resist US pressure to stonewall the loan, stressing that as a member state of the international body, Iran is entitled to such loans, the last one of which it received 50 years ago.
