Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has approved a withdrawal of one billion euros from the country’s sovereign wealth fund to help fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
President Hassan Rouhani confirmed Monday the withdrawal in a statement on his official website and applauded the supreme leader’s move.
Mr. Rouhani said the money from the National Development Fund of Iran (NDFI) will “confront and manage the effects of coronavirus outbreak in the country.”
He directed the government to use the funds to “supply the requirements of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education … and spend it on domestic production by taking advantage of knowledge-based companies as much as possible.”
Iran has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus outbreak and has confirmed more than 60,000 cases.
At least 3,739 people in Iran have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, while 24,236 have recovered, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Iran has a population of 83 million.
But exile groups critical of the regime claim the government has not been honest about the death toll, which could be over 18,000 to date.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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