TEHRAN, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The current novel coronavirus pandemic may result in the restoration of Iran's global economic status, an Iranian economic expert said Wednesday.
"For sure, this disease will have its impact on the economy and politics of many countries and could result in an upheaval in the economy of the world," said Majid Reza Hariri, also chairman of Iran-China Chamber of Commerce.
"We are witnessing that many countries are currently taking a stance against the U.S. anti-Iran oppressive sanctions, and this could cause a change in the equations," Hariri noted.
On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani expressed hope that the current global campaign to remove U.S. anti-Iran sanctions amid the country's struggle to stem the novel coronavirus will bear results in near future.
Iran has intensified global campaign for the removal of U.S. sanctions during its combat against the coronavirus, Rouhani said at a virtual cabinet meeting.
"Right now, this issue (lifting U.S. sanctions) under coronavirus condition is raised at the UN Security Council (UNSC)," Rouhani said, adding that a resolution of UNSC will help the lift of all U.S. anti-Iran sanctions.
Besides, Iran's Foreign Ministry has made efforts to unfreeze the country's assets in different countries under U.S. sanction pressures.
The re-imposition of financial, energy and industrial sanctions on Iran, after U.S. President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Iranian landmark nuclear deal in 2018, has dented Iran's capacities to tackle domestic and global challenges, as international companies are unwilling to risk doing business with Iran and banks have not been able or willing to process payments.
"In my opinion, the novel coronavirus pandemic will likely lead us somewhere to take the advantage of it and it will help us enter the global (economic) game," Hariri explained.
"Perhaps the current developments would help us out of the stalemate" the Iranian economy is currently experiencing, he said.
Iran is the worst-hit country by the COVID-19 in the Middle East.
Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education on Wednesday confirmed that 27,017 people in the country have been infected with the novel coronavirus, of whom 2,077 have died.