Trump proposes fresh aid to Iran

President Donald Trump said he would be open to providing monetary aid or medical supplies to Iran at Sunday’s Coronavirus Task Force press briefing.

The comment came in response to a question from a reporter about how Iran was battling the coronavirus pandemic, and whether Trump would consider supporting a proposal from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and other Democrats to send $5 billion in aid to Iran.

Iran, like China, has reported coronavirus numbers, both confirmed cases and deaths, that are far below those of other countries around the world, but the data from those two countries is assumed to be misleading or otherwise paint an incomplete picture of the impact of Covid-19 on their populations.

Trump noted that Iran had been “hit very hard” by the pandemic, even though “obviously” their numbers “weren’t correct numbers, that they reported.”

However, Trump continued, he “would be willing to do something, if they want it, if they ask for it…if they needed aid or ventilators, we have thousands of ventilators currently on hand, and ventilators under construction, that are under construction.”

“That’s a mosquito, I don’t like mosquitoes, I don’t like mosquitoes at all,” Trump interrupted his own chain of thought to comment on an apparent insect in the briefing room.

“Yeah, we would certainly be willing to help,” said Trump, resuming his remarks on Iran. “What they should do is be smart and make a deal.”

Earlier, Trump also expressed his interest to send aid to Iran.

Source: Agencies



Dhaka/AI