2206, the highest number of new confirmed cases for a day was announced today. 143 more people passed away, according to Ministry of Health officials. However, as it’s been established, the stat cannot be trusted for many reasons. Rouhani’s administration also announced new restrictions in terms of social distancing and preventing people from traveling outside their residential province.
Total: 27,017
Dead: 2,077
As it was previously reported, specific numbers for each province will not be announced anymore! Check out the updated map and graphs:
While Islamic Republic refuses help from Doctors Without Borders citing they have enough space for all patients! They even said they have 3 field hospitals with vacant beds, however, reports of dying people on the streets, patients being turned away from hospitals and exhausted healthcare workers paint a different picture. More than 43 healthcare worker have passed away from this disease but regime insists the only problem is sanctions and money!
After Khamenei’s speech, accusing US of biological attack, jinns being involved in spying missions cooperating with foreign intelligence services, and bluntly refusing any help from US, Islamic Republic regime has increased the pressure on US with the hopes of relief from “maximum pressure” policy of Trump administration. Most recently, an official from Ministry of Health put the whole blame on US, saying “Whatever is happening here is because of US”! How logical. Let’s not forget Mahan Air flights to/from China when it was peak of the disease in that country brought COVID-19 to Iran in the first place. They hid it for WEEKS for their political gain and are lying about the numbers since day 1, didn’t quarantine the focal points, and many more points I could go on for hours, but these are all because of US sanctions!!
Even after Secretary Pompeo has responded to their misinformation campaign, NIAC (National Iranian American Council), regime’s propaganda machine in the US, started a social media campaign with the hashtag EndCOVIDSanctions. US Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and few of her colleagues joined this effort as well. In this website alone, we have debunked their false claims but this time, regime’s opposition took the matters in their own hands and started a counter campaign refuting NIAC’s claims with hashtag COVIDSanctionsLie. Here is an analysis of their clash as of this writing, 12PM ET.
NIAC and regime’s propaganda bots have tweeted 20.4k since yesterday while the opposition has more than 102k even though they started later. It’s also worth mentioning that most NIAC members are “recognized” reporters working at international media outlets but still look like the opposition has made their points. In 2020, it’s become very difficult to suppress your opposition’s voice, at least on social media.
NIAC has always claimed to be the voice of Iranians. Every twitter campaign by opposition groups, they’re accused of being bots or agents of foreign intelligence services. The recent hashtag war showed a different picture. Based on language used and authors’ history of using platform, you can see that less than 6% of NIAC’s tweets are from Iran.
Islamic Republic regime has taken more than 80 million hostage until the sanctions are lifted. As mentioned in earlier articles, the international aid packages are found in black markets or sold to other countries, creating a new income stream for IRGC and regime officials, with no regard for Iranian lives. Here is another video from Turkey, showing Iranian made surgical masks sold in Turkey’s market while Iranians are struggling with shortage of all sorts of medical supplies. The top photo shows an elderly using his scarf as a mask!!
More and more videos come out of Iran showing the devastation in the country. This one shows how graves are being prepared for COVID-19 victims in Sirjan, Kerman. The official is warning people to stay home or they’d end up in one of those graves.
And this one showing stretchers left behind after burying Coronavirus victims in Tehran:
Reading previous articles could give you a good idea about how this crisis is being managed and why sanctions play no part in humanitarian crisis going on in Iran.
Cover photo: Kaveh Rostamkhani; NPR