Tehran, May 5 (IANS) Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said that a recent US move to cut funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) hampers global fight against the novel coronavirus, official IRNA news agency reported.

"At a time when the coronavirus has turned into a threat against global security and public health ... the impair of WHO's role amounts to weakening joint global fight against the coronavirus," Rouhani said addressing a virtual meeting of the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Rouhani criticized the United States for what he called the US "hasty and irresponsible measure" to stop funding the WHO which posses challenges to the global struggle against novel coronavirus.

He also slammed US "illegal and unilateral sanctions" against the Islamic republic, saying that sanctions imposed by the United States deprives Iranian patients from timely access to health and medical products supplied by international companies.

--IANS rt/