MNA � Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has condemned the United States for �taking advantage� of the situation following the coronavirus outbreak in China.

In a tweet in Chinese on Tuesday, FM Zarif referred to his phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, saying he had expressed his appreciation for China's successful measures to fight the epidemic.

�China not only prevented the epidemic from escalating at home, but it also prevented it from spreading to the world,� Zarif added.

The Iranian diplomat then went on to condemn the US for �taking advantage� of the dangers of the coronavirus outbreak.

�China is obviously more responsible and successful than the United States in preventing and controlling H1N1 flu in 2009,� he added.

Zarif then recited the world-famous lines from �Bani Adam� by Persian poet Sa�adi, and stressed that Iran firmly stands by China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying during a regular press conference on Monday said the United States is spreading fear over the outbreak of coronavirus by pulling Americans out of the Asian country and enforcing travel restrictions instead of providing significant aid to Beijing in curbing the deadly infection.

The virus was first reported in December in a seafood and poultry market in Wuhan, with a population of 11 million people.

As of Tuesday, the killer virus has taken the lives of 425 people and infected 20,438.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the flu-like virus a global emergency.