President Rouhani told Japanese Prime Minister Abe that “in the hard times of fighting coronavirus and its severe economic consequences, the U.S.’s illegal sanctions against the Iranian nation have intensified… we are facing many problems even in the field of medical equipment and food supply”. Rouhani further stated that “we are sorry that in recent weeks we have seen tensions created by the U.S. in Iraq and the Persian Gulf region, not to mention that tensions in the region have always begun by the U.S.”