Iran’s supreme leader refused American assistance to fight the new coronavirus citing a conspiracy theory claiming it could be man-made by the United States government.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments came on Sunday as Iran faces crushing US sanctions blocking the country from selling its crude oil and accessing international financial markets.

While Iranian officials in recent days have increasingly criticised those sanctions, 80-year-old Khamenei instead echoed Chinese officials about the possible origin of the coronavirus.

“I do not know how real this accusation is but when it exists, who in their right mind would trust you to bring them medication?” Khamenei said. “Possibly your medicine is a way to spread the virus more.”

He also alleged the virus “is specifically built for Iran using the genetic data of Iranians, which they have obtained through different means.”

“You might send people as doctors and therapists, maybe they would want to come here and see the effect of the poison they have produced in person,” Khamenei said.

There is no scientific proof offered anywhere in the world to support Khamenei’s claims.

However, his comments come after Chinese government spokesman Lijian Zhao tweeted earlier this month it “might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe[s] us an explanation!”

Lijian likewise offered no evidence to support his claim, which saw the US State Department summon China’s ambassador to complain.

Read more at Al Jazeera.