Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif asserted that “banking and financial restrictions imposed [by the U.S.] do not identify whether you are purchasing humanitarian items or not. When a bank deems it risky to do business with Iran it simply closes the door”. Describing U.S. sanctions as “a crime against humanity”, Zarif went on to dismiss U.S. offers of assistance with the COVID-19 outbreak as “hypocritical” and stated: “all the U.S. needs to do is to stop interfering… We will take care of ourselves and have enough friends in the world to help us. Stop economic terrorism. If you are not ready to do this, then we ask the world to stop just watching this bullying”.