US Seeking to Use Coronavirus to Perpetuate Hostility toward Iran: Official
Vice Admiral Ali Shamkhani said Tuesday Washington is even happy over the virus outbreak in China.
“It is only US statesmen who regard the coronavirus as an opportunity to perpetuate their animosity toward Iran, like the American treasury secretary’s joy over the coronavirus epidemic in China and its positive economic results for the United States, or the idea of launching a military strike on Iran proposed by delusional Pompeo” said Shamkhani in a tweet.
“Honestly, which ill and criminal mind has given rise to the coronavirus,” added Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Coronavirus in Iran: Small Businesses to Be Compensated for Losses
Es’haq Jahangiri said the corona pandemic is a global and complex issue which has even gripped major countries which claim to be able to tackle any issue.
He said Iran is the only country which is fighting the disease despite tough banking and oil sanctions imposed on it.
“Despite all pressure, we will try to meet our needs in the medical and health sector,” the veep noted.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Jahangiri said the only authority which makes final decisions on fighting the coronavirus is the National Coronavirus Management Committee.
“The only source for news in this regard is the president or the health minister, and other news sources should not be trusted,” he said.
He also urged people to remain in their homes in order to help contain the spread of the virus.
38.8 Million People Screened for Coronavirus Infection in Iran: Minister
Saeid Namaki said of those screened, as many as 547,000 had symptoms of coronavirus infection.
“Of that figure, 74,000 people have been sent to health and medical centres, and 8,000 have been taken to hospital for treatment,” he said.
“3,000 of them were diagnosed with requirements to be hospitalized or treated,” the minister added.
He said the results of tests conducted so far suggest there will be a growing trend of coronavirus infection in the country from now on, but “it does not mean that the situation in the country has gotten worse.”
“Rather, we are seeing better conditions compared to the previous days because, proportionately, the number of deaths has decreased compared to the number of infections,” he said.
He underlined that prompt diagnosis of the disease in individuals will decrease the rate of infection.
“We try to put suspicious cases under quarantine,” the minister noted.
“Given that the pace of detecting patients is speeding up, the rate of infection will keep increasing slightly; so, we keep recommending people stay in their homes,” he said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Hits Back at Ortagus for ‘Wuhan Virus’ Comments
In a post on its Twitter account on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected the baseless comments from Ortagus who has described as part of the “conspiracy theories” the remarks made by Leader of Iran’s Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei about Washington’s possible role in creating COVID-19.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has called on the US State Department spokesperson to refer to an article published by the Global Research.
“If the accusations made by the world against the US government over the coronavirus are ‘conspiracy theories invented by Iran’, then you don’t need to go anywhere far; just answer part of the questions published in the ‘Global Research’,” said the tweet.
It came after Ortagus refuted Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks about the US’ role in the creation of COVID-19 which she referred to as the “Wuhan Virus”.
The American spokeswoman has said that the “conspiracy theories about the Wuhan Virus” by the Leader of Iran’s Revolution are harmful, irresponsible, and 100 percent false.
On March 23 in a speech broadcast live to the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Khamenei turned down the US’ offer of help in dealing with the coronavirus epidemic in Iran, saying such disease may have been created by the US as part of its hostile plots against Iranians.
The Leader also emphasized that Iran could not trust the US because it could be giving medicines that spread the virus or cause it to remain in Iran.
Meanwhile, the Global Research has published an op-ed article on March 21, dismissing the groundless claims from some major US media and politicians that the novel coronavirus originates in China.
The article has asked ten questions for the United States about the virus’ origin.
* This IFP article was revised on May 31, 2020, in order to add a link to the Global Research article mentioned by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Iranian, Italian Foreign Ministers Discuss COVID-19 Crisis
In the telephone conversation on Monday evening, the two foreign ministers talked about the outbreak of coronavirus in Iran and Italy, and expressed sympathy with each other’s nations over the deaths of Iranian and Italian citizens due to COVID-19 infection.
Foreign Minister Zarif also deplored the US’ insistence on continuing with the unilateral, illegal and inhumane sanctions against the Iranian nation, and stressed the need to halt and not implement the cruel sanctions against people of Iran.
12 Killed,17 Injured in Iran Flash Floods
The spokesperson for Iran’s Emergency Medical Service announced on Monday that flooding caused by torrential rains in several provinces has killed 12 people.
The spokesman also noted that 17 people have been injured in the floods and two others are still unaccounted for.
Swollen rivers caused by heavy spring rainfall have inundated residential areas in the cities and villages of provinces of Hormozgan, Fars, Bushehr, Qom, Gilan, Kerman, and Sistan and Baluchestan.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) and other organizations are carrying out rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit provinces.
Heavy rainfalls have forced the authorities in a number of cities to declare state of emergency and order the evacuation of people from residential areas.
Governor of the port city of Chabahar in southeast Iran said torrential rains over the past 24 hours have caused serious damages to the urban and rural infrastructures of the region.
Iran Urges Tunisia’s Action in UNSC against US Sanctions
In a telephone conversation with Tunisia’s new president on Monday evening, President Rouhani congratulated Kais Saied on his election and on Tunisia’s National Day (March 20).
The Iranian president also expressed hope that Tehran and Tunis would enhance relations and cooperation under President Saied’s tenure and would promote interaction and consultations about various regional and international issues.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran sees no limits to the expansion of ties and cooperation with the Republic of Tunisia, and we must take advantage of the capacities and capabilities of the two countries in this regard,” the Iranian president added.
Describing the coronavirus pandemic as a global challenge, the battle with which requires unity among all governments and nations, President Rouhani said, “Today, protecting the lives of people and countering the disease requires concerted and collective action and cooperation in the world.”
He also lashed out at the US government for intensifying the cruel sanctions against the Iranian nation under the tough situation after the outbreak of COVID-19, adding, “Blocking the delivery of medicine and humanitarian aid (to Iran) and Iran’s banking relations that are needed to satisfy the needs of people run counter to the humanitarian norms and to the United Nations regulations.”
The world countries must condemn the US government’s anti-human measures and force Washington to obey the UN laws and the humanitarian principles, President Rouhani stated, adding, “Tunisia, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, is duty bound to take steps in line with the international community’s opposition to the cruel and inhumane sanctions (imposed by the US).”
He finally stressed the need to promote the regional and international relations and cooperation between Iran and Tunisia and to improve the mutual efforts for ensuring regional peace and security and protecting the rights of Palestinian people.
For his part, the Tunisian president praised the Islamic Republic of Iran’s mighty stances on the regional, international and the Islamic world’s issues, stressing that Tunisia attaches great significance to the promotion of ties and cooperation with Iran and to strengthening the historic and firm relations with Tehran.
Kais Saied also deplored the inhumane sanctions the US has imposed on Iran, noting, “We believe that all countries are today faced with the outbreak of coronavirus. Under such circumstances, the United Nations should belong to all nations, and surely Iran and Tunisia are standing together in the confrontation and battle with various global challenges, such as the coronavirus.”
Over 23,000 Infected by Coronavirus in Iran: Official
Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Monday 1,411 new cases of coronavirus infection were reported in the country in the 24 hours to 12 pm, Monday, including 127 new deaths.
He said the average age of those infected is 59 and that of the victims is 64 years old.
So far, 36 million Iranians have been screened for the virus as part of a national plan for mobilization against COVID-19.
Iran Working on Six Research, Communication Satellites
“A total of six satellites are high on the satellite launch agenda, one of which, Zafar-2, developed by Iran University of Science and Technology, is due for launch in May or June. The satellites Nahid-1, Nahid-2, and Pars-1 are also ready to be delivered,” said Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi.
Pointing to the minister’s statements, Chairman of the Iranian Space Research Centre Saeid Samimi told ISNA that 3 out of the 6 satellites have been developed by his research centre.
Samimi went on to explain progress on building a couple of the satellites. “Besides its cameras, other parts of the remote-sensing satellite Pars-1 are prepared. We are waiting for the contractor to deliver the cameras so that we do the final tests and can deliver Pars-1 to Iranian Space Organization.”
Describing Nahid-2 as a communication satellite, he said that development of its engineering model has ended, and “we have entered the qualitative phase.”
He expressed hope that Nahid-2 will be ready for launch “until September 2020 or March 2021.”
Chairman of Iranian Space Organization Dr. Morteza Barari has said that Payam-2 also figures on top of Amir Kabir University’s agenda after failed launch of Payam-1, adding that it is “a research satellite … whose main goals and missions will be different than those of Payam-1 … We intend to move on to project-oriented satellites, and the university is drawing up the proposal.”
Apart from the satellites, building new launchers and satellite ground stations are also under way. “We have planned to utilize three new launchers and a number of stations for launching those satellites” Dr. Barari added.
Since placing the satellite Omid into orbit in 2009, Iran has joined the countries capable of launching satellites. The country has had 4 successful and two failed launches on its resume so far.
