Reuters - Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for emergency funding to help it fight the coronavirus outbreak, which has hit the Islamic Republic hard, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet on Thursday.

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 head of IMF, I have requested five billion U.S. dollar from the RFI emergency fund to help our fight against the coronavirus�.

Reporting by Parisa Hafezi and Davide Barbuscia; Editing by Kevin Liffey