A year ago, today, Islamic Ministry of Health announced two have died of COVID-19 in Qom. The news wasn’t a surprise to the majority of Iranians since they knew Islamic Republic had been hiding the arrival of Wuhan virus in Iran. The theocratic regime in deepest of its legitimacy issues, after November 2019 uprising, wanted people to attend its anniversary on February 11, 2020 and sham elections on February 21. However, the family of the dead published the news online and chaos ensued.
Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic “Supreme Leader”, has been involved since before the official announcement, micromanaging everything, from his IRIB and propaganda network to his banning of UK, US and France made vaccines. The novel coronavirus has devastated countless families across the nation, with some forced to bury their loved ones in their backyard! However, the Islamic Republic has been manipulating the statistics whenever and however it likes to suit its interests based on the circumstances. When religious occasions approach, they would lower the numbers and when a traditional Persian occasion is on the calendar, the numbers would go the other way! The common denominator at all times: Blaming people for whatever bad happens, if COVID-19 gets out of hand, praising Khamenei for his leadership.
Here is a short list of what Khamenei has done, impacting millions of lives, just in coronavirus crisis:
- National Security Council convened meeting, oppressing all reports about the virus.
- Before elections, he called COVID-19 a “so-called disease” used an excuse to prevent people from participating in the “Islamic Republic elections.”
- Prior to official announcement, he put distance between himself and his audience in his speeches!
- After it was announced, he went into hiding. A month later, he asked people to pray for their safety.
- Khamenei’s IRIB and propaganda network downplayed the seriousness of coronavirus in all their programs, calling it “not worse than flu.”
- He refused to accept medical help from US and told them to instead lift sanctions. He called coronavirus a biological attack on Iranians and said Jinns have been helping foreign intelligence services to defeat Islamic Republic.
- It took him weeks to approve 1 billion Euro withdrawal from National Development Fund to help fight against the novel coronavirus.
- Weeks passed by before Friday Prayers were canceled. Friday Prayers Committee operates under Khamenei’s supervision.
- He ordered Ministry of Health to devise a plan for Ramadan and Eid Fitr crowded gatherings.
- His annual mourning ceremonies in Muharram were canceled while encouraging people to attend through his propaganda network, including Friday Prayers Imams, Islamic Propaganda Network and orators.
- He banned US, UK and France made vaccines, because he doesn’t “trust the west.” He called them “haram.”
Iranians, including celebrities and health experts, have widely criticized his decision to forbid safe vaccines without any scientific reasoning. Amnesty called his decision a “gross human rights violation.” Khamenei and IRGC have taken 83+ million citizens as hostage, calling shots about their lives and not accountable to anybody, because he is “God’s representative on earth.”
At IranTrue.com, we have been reporting the events since the epidemic began on a daily basis. Graphs are updated every day and analyzing of Islamic Republic data has been done, proving their manipulation. We also have gathered a timeline for the COVID-19 in Iran. We continue to report daily on the crisis and publish truth about Iran, until the “real virus,” is eradicated.