Deputy Health Minister Reza Malekzadeh: 70% of Iranians will be affected by Coronavirus

UPDATE, 1115 GMT:

The Health Ministry has raised the death toll to 724 from 611. Cases have risen to 13,938 from 12,729.

“If the trend continues, there will not be enough capacity,” warned Ali Reza Zali, the official leading the Government response to the crisis.

Contradicting the Supreme Leader and the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s Deputy Health Minister says Coronavirus is not “biological warfare” by the West.

In a State TV interview, Deputy Health Minister Reza Malekzadeh also said that the regime’s delay in acknowledging the virus and taking measures had contributed to the scale of the outbreak, now with an official toll of 611 cases and 12,729 cases.

“We should have certainly been more vigilant,” the minister admitted.

He said up to 70% of Iranian are likely to be affected by the virus.

The Supreme Leader said on February 23, two days after a historically-low turnout in Iran’s Parliamentary elections, that fear of Coronavirus was a “Western plot” to deter participation in the vote. President Hassan Rouhani echoed the statements of “foreign conspiracy” as the Government refused to ban flights from China and to impose quarantines.

While the regime has now taken emergency measures, Ayatollah Khamenei is framing the virus as “biological warfare”, after Revolutionary Guards commander Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami said on March 5, “We will win the battle against this virus which might be the result of a biological offensive that has first reached China and Iran and other regions.”

See also Iran Daily, March 6: Revolutionary Guards — Coronavirus May Be “Western Biological Warfare”

Rouhani: Blame Sanctions

Rouhani turned to blame of the Trump Administration’s sanctions on Saturday, writing world leaders, “It is time for the international community to stand up to US’ illegal and inhumane bullying and not let the unjust US sanctions against Iran affect the fight against the deadly virus.”

In sharp contrast to the initial dismissal of the virus by the Supreme Leader, the President wrote:

Confronting the virus requires coordinated regional and international actions on the one hand, and taking tough measures, meeting the basic needs of the people, providing financial support to those affected by the suspension of economic businesses, enormous health and medical costs, etc.

On the other hand; the implementation of these measures requires a strong economic power and tens of billions of dollars in funding,

Facing serious economic problems, Iran has asked the World Health Organization for $5 billion.

See also Iran Daily, March 14: Coronavirus — Regime Seeks $5 Billion from World Health Organization

Assembly of Experts Member Seriously Ill

Among the latest victims of the virus is a member of the Assembly of Experts, which elects and nominally oversees the Supreme Leader.

Ayatollah Sayed Hashim Bathayi is in a special care unit in a hospital in the holy city of Qom, where the outbreak started.

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

Two senior aides to the Supreme Leader, including his foreign policy specialist Ali Akbar Velayati; 1st Vice President Esh’aq Jahangiri, Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, two other Ministers, and five MPS are among the ill.