Tehran Times – While the outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China, had become the main subject of the world’s media outlets, the Iranian Ministry of Health have engineered comprehensive plans to counter a possible spread of the virus in Iran. It begun its job by restricting travels to China and getting prepared for the outbreak inside the country.
In late February 2020, when the tests of two citizens in Qom proved positive for the new coronavirus, COVID-19, a national campaign was launched to contain the disease through a national mobilization. As a global challenge, the coronavirus requires international cooperation and the support of all countries to prevent the spread of the disease and to treat patients. The enemies of the Iranian people not only have refused to give up economic terrorism in such a difficult and complex condition, they have also worsened the situation through psychological and media warfare.
Accusing Iran of spreading the virus across the region and many countries around the world and deceiving the public opinion by spreading false news about the death toll in Iran coupled with accusation that the country’s management system has failed to deal with the epidemic are only a part of the “perceptive terrorism” that the hegemonic system has carried out to exacerbate the influence of “economic terrorism” on the Iranian people.
The WHO representatives have visited Iran to monitor the process of providing health services to the people as well as programs implemented to contain the coronavirus. They have applauded the performance of the Islamic Republic of Iran, even calling for using the Iranian model to combat the virus in other countries.
Some great measures have been predicted to contain and fight the virus, which have so far yielded good results. Given the unpredictability of the disease and its devastating economic and psychological effects on Iran and the world at large, the current situation cannot be maintained without using all available capabilities, especially in terms of financing and capacity building with other countries.
Trade and banking sanctions by the U.S. against Iran have practically made the importation of medicine, disinfectants, etc. extremely difficult and have doubled the pressure of the outbreak on our country. Under such circumstances, U.S. officials are making false claims that they are ready to help Iran contain the coronavirus. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has pretended that he is concerned over the coronavirus outbreak in Iran, claiming that Washington is ready to help Tehran. How can one believe the claim that comes along with practical measures to increase sanctions and taking no care of its consequences?
The only way that the U.S. can prove its claims is to resume its legal obligations under the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, and lift the illegal and inhumane sanctions on the Iranian people. However, there is no hope that the U.S. take under such a step under its gambler president.
Sayed Abbas Mousavi, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said the claims of support had been circulated in the media before reaching the Iranian government. Mousavi said it was just a hypocritical propaganda campaign aimed at deceiving the public opinion in the world. On Saturday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also wrote on his Twitter account that “the world can no longer be silent as US economic terrorism is supplanted by its medical terrorism”.
Also, Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani said on his Twitter account on Saturday that “the virus of sanctions and non-commitment to promises is threatening international security more than the coronavirus.” He added, “The US claim that it is ready to help Iran can only be verified through the country’s implementation of its legal obligations under the JCPOA.”
Now, it is time to verify Americans’ claim, as the White House officials have occasionally stated that they stand by the Iranian people. They can prove their claims by lifting or suspending sanctions in this special situation in Iran.
Author: Mohammad Ghaderi , Tehran Times editor in chief
His page on Twitter: @ghaderi62– Gmail address: m.ghaderi62@gmail.com
