DUBAI — President Hassan Rouhani pressed harder on Wednesday for a $5 billion emergency IMF loan Iran has sought to fight the Middle East's worst coronavirus outbreak, saying the Fund would be guilty of discrimination if it withholds the money. Rouhani also said some businesses will remain closed until further notice, after the authorities announced last week that they will begin to ease a shut-down order from April 11. It was Tehran's first request for IMF aid since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. "I urge international organisations to fulfil their duties ... We are a member of the IMF," Rouhani said at a televised cabinet meeting. "There should be no discrimination in giving loans," Rouhani added, saying such discrimination would be unacceptable.

Source: International New York Times April 08, 2020 07:30 UTC