DUBAI: Iran sought an emergency funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday to support the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The outbreak struck the Islamic Republic hard, said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday, in a tweet.

IMF's @KGeorgieva has stated that countries affected by #COVID19 will be supported via Rapid Financial Instrument. Our Central Bank requested access to this facility immediately.

IMF/IMF Board should adhere to Fund's mandate, stand on right side of history & act responsibly.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) March 12, 2020

The IMF managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, “has stated that countries affected by #COVID19 will be supported via Rapid Financial Instrument. Our Central Bank requested access to this facility immediately”, Zarif said.

Iran’s central bank chief Abdolnaser Hemmati wrote on his Instagram page that “in a letter addressed to the IMF leader, I asked the RFI emergency fund for $5 billion to help counter coronavirus.”

Iran is among the countries most affected by the epidemic, with 9,000 cases and 354 deaths, according to a report by the AFP.

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