Mourners at the funeral of Revolutionary Guards official Farzad Tazari at the Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery just outside Tehran, Iran, March 10, 2020 (Mahmood Hosseini/Tasnim)

Amid economic problems and the spread of Coronavirus, Iran’s regime is seeking $5 billion from the International Monetary Fund.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced the approach in a tweet:

Central Bank head Abdolnaser Hemmati confirmed on his Instagram page, “In a letter addressed to the head of IMF, I have requested five billion US dollars from the RFI emergency fund to help our fight against the coronavirus.”

Amid long-term internal issues and US sanctions, Iran is facing difficulties with production, trade, investment, employment, and a historically-weak currency. The Islamic Republic’s oil exports have fallen between 80% and 95% since April 2018, crippling the Government budget.

The International Monetary Fund projected that Iran’s economy has contracted by 9.5% in 2019. The World Bank estimate is an 8.7% decline. Before the Coronavirus outbreak, the IMF forecast 0% stagnation in Iran this year.

See also Iran Daily, October 16: Economy to Shrink Almost 10% This Year — IMF

The Health Ministry reported an official toll on Friday of 514 deaths among 11,364 cases.

In a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Zarif repeated Iran’s demand for the comprehensive US sanctions — imposed by the Trump Administration in November 2018 — to be lifted.

Revolutionary Guards General Dies

Among the latest victims is a Revolutionary Guards commander, Brig. Gen. Nasser Shabani.

Shabani’s record included deputy command of the Guards’ Sarollah unit in Tehran, known for its crackdown on dissent. He was also commander of Guards forces in Kermanshah Province in western Iran.

On Thursday, officials confirmed that the Supreme Leader’s top aide, Ali Akbar Velayati, is in quarantine with the virus.

Two MPs, an advisor to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s former Ambassador to the Vatican, and two members of the Expediency Council, which advises the Supreme Leader, have died.

Another senior Khamenei aide, 1st Vice President Esh’aq Jahangiri, Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, two other Ministers, and five MPS are among the ill.

See also Iran Daily, March 13: Coronavirus Closes On Supreme Leader — Top Aide Tests Positive

On Friday, the Supreme Leader issued a decree for the Iranian military to establish a “Health and Treatment Base”.

The head of the Iranian armed forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Baqeri, said troops will ensure by this weekend that roads and supermarkets are cleared of people.

It is unclear if the military will impose lockdowns. After the Government initially rejected quarantines, armed forces began setting up checkpoints between major cities just over a week ago.

In his mandate for Baqeri, Khamenei repeated his declaration of Coronavirus as “biological warfare” by Iran’s enemies.

However, the general did not mention the conspiracy theory in his news conference.