TEHRAN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday said U.S. "unlawful" anti-Iran sanctions have impaired its ability to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

"Unlawful U.S. sanctions (have) drained Iran's economic resources, impairing its ability to fight COVID-19," Zarif said on Twitter.

The sanctions "literally kill innocents," he wrote.

"Join the growing global campaign to disregard U.S. sanctions on Iran," Zarif added.

China on Monday urged the United States to lift sanctions on Iran immediately, amid the country's struggle to respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

"Continued sanction on Iran is against humanitarianism and hampers Iran's epidemic response & delivery of humanitarian aid by the UN and other organizations," China's Foreign Ministry said in a tweet.

Iran is among the countries which have been severely hit by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.