Zangeneh made the remark during the 22nd annual ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), emphasizing the destructive US role in all global regulations in the last four years, from its role in global warming and climate conventions to destroying its trade ties with China and triggering a trade war with this country to its impact on Transatlantic relations.
He added, “Above all, the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), imposing illegal and unilateral sanctions against Iran, and its energy sector in particular, and restricting the country’s access to its revenues have made tackling COVID-19 outbreak difficult.”
“Some 400 people die in Iran every day due to coronavirus. We cannot use our revenues and wealth to improve Iranians’ living condition and fulfil our humanitarian and healthcare goals,” Zangeneh said.
Despite all pressures, we could develop our gas industry and our gas production hit a record high of 1000 million cubic meters per day, he noted, adding 95 percent of Iran’s population has already had access to piped natural gas.