Iran warns of months of crisis as virus deaths reach 3,160
Rouhani says virus not something for which we can point to a certain date and say it will be fully eradicated by then; Iran, US heat up war of words on Iraq despite virus pandemic
Iran on Thursday reported 124 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising its total to 3,160, as President Rouhani warned that the country may still battle the pandemic for another year.
Health ministry spokesman ki anoushja han pour announced the latest toll in a news conference and confirmed 3,111 new infections over the past 24 hours, bringing Iran’s total to 50,468.
He said 16,711 of those hospitalised had so far recovered.
Iran has been scrambling to contain the COVID-19 outbreak since it reported its first cases on February 19.
After weeks of refraining from imposing a lockdown or quarantine measures, Tehran decided last week to ban all intercity travel until at least April 8.
There is no official lockdown within Iran’s cities, although the government has repeatedly urged Iranians to stay at home to contain the spread of the virus.
Rouhani warned at a cabinet meeting Thursday that there was no quick fix.
“Coronavirus is not something for which we can point to a certain date and say it will be completely eradicated by then,” he said.
Rouhani said the virus “may be with us in upcoming months, or until the end” of the current Iranian year, in March 2021.
The country, one of the world’s worst hit by the pandemic which originated in China, must remain vigilant and more limitations may be implemented, he said.
Iran has closed schools and universities until early April and also four key Shiite pilgrimage sites, including the Fatima Masumeh shrine in Qom.
It has discouraged travel, cancelled the main weekly Friday prayers and temporarily closed parliament.
Iran said on Thursday it “only acts in selfdefence” after President Donald Trump warned it against attacks on US troops in Iraq, as a new war of words heated up despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Tensions between the arch-foes flared in Iraq where the United States deployed Patriot air defence missiles prompting neighbouring Iran to warn of consequences and demand a US withdrawal.
Both countries have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed more than 5,000 lives in the United States and more than 3,000 in Iran.
“Unlike the US − which surreptitiously lies, cheats & assassinates − Iran only acts in self-defence,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.
“Don’t be misled by usual warmongers, AGAIN,” he said, addressing US President Donald Trump, “Iran starts no wars but teaches lessons to those who do,” he added.
Trump warned Iran on Wednesday that it would pay a “heavy price” in the event of further attacks on US troops.
He tweeted that “upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on US troops and/or assets in Iraq.”
In response, Zarif wrote on Twitter that “Iran has FRIENDS: No one can have MILLIONS of ‘proxies’” Iran responded angrily to the US Patriot deployment warning that Washington risked leading the Middle East to disaster in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Iran and the US are in a tense battle for influence in Iraq, where Tehran has powerful allies and Washington has close ties to the government.
Bases in Iraq housing US troops and foreign embassies, particularly the American mission, have been targeted in more than two dozen rocket attacks since October that Washington has blamed on Iran-backed armed groups.
Tensions have risen sharply since Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions.
They escalated in January when the US killed Iran’s Major General Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike near Baghdad airport.
Iran retaliated by firing at bases in Iraq housing US troops.
While on high alert for a response, Iranian air defences accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner minutes after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board.
Iran has repeatedly called on the Trump administration to reverse its sanctions policy, which has been opposed even by US allies, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.