Dangerous U.S.-Iran Encounters in Persian Gulf
Official Says COVID-19 Deaths Higher than Official Figures. IRGC Blames U.S. for Military Encounter in the Persian Gulf. Foreign Ministry Says U.S. has “Stopped” IMF Loan Request. Prominent Economist Gives Optimistic Economic Forecast. Government Audit Spurs Controversy. Friday Prayer Imam Resigns. IRGC Launches Satellite into Space.
Iran Faces Likely “Second Wave” of COVID Infections
The official COVID-19 daily death toll in Iran has dipped below 100 for the first time in over one month. On April 14th, the Health Ministry’s spokesperson Kianoush Jahanpour stated that 98 people had died of the virus in the previous 24 hours. Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi has said “the spread of the virus is “on the decline” in “most provinces and in the country overall.” However, many industries have resumed operations in Iran in the past week, threatening a resurgence of the disease.
Coronavirus Update in Iran 4/08
This week, Iran’s President, Hassan Rouhani, began to lift social distancing despite criticism from health officials. Also, negotiations surrounding Iran’s IMF loan request continue, with the U.S. indicating it plans to block the request.
Congressional Letter to Pompeo and Mnuchin Urging Easing of Iran Sanctions
Today, a progressive group of Members of Congress published a letter sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin urging the United States to “substantially suspend sanctions on Iran” as it combats coronavirus “in a humanitarian gesture to the Iranian people to better enable them to fight the virus.” The letter further urged Pompeo and Mnuchin sanctions relief for “major sectors of the Iranian economy, including those impacting civilian industries, Iran’s banking sector and exports of oil, and should last for at least as long as health experts believe the crisis will continue. Failure to do so risks inhibiting the delivery of key humanitarian goods and putting the Iranian people into further health and economic peril.”
40+ Organizations Urge Trump to Ease Iran Sanctions to Combat Coronavirus
In light of the increasingly dire situation in Iran as the country combats the COVID-19 pandemic, 25 organizations – including J Street, Truman National Security Project, MoveOn, Win Without War and Ploughshares Fund – in calling on President Trump, Sec. Mnuchin, and Sec. Pompeo to loosen the administration’s crippling sanctions regime on Iran for 120 days in order to aid the Iranian people’s fight against the virus.
54,000 Prisoners in Iran Temporarily Released Due to Coronavirus Fears
Iran has become one of the largest epicenters for the Coronavirus outbreak outside of China. The first cases in Iran were reported on February 19th, since then the confluence of governmental mismanagement and a public health sector hindered by sanctions has created a dangerous situation as the virus spreads.
NIAC Statement on Coronavirus Ban on Iranians
We are concerned by the President’s announcement to subject Iranian nationals to yet another ban on their travel to the United States, along with other nationals who have recently traveled to Iran. Unlike the Muslim ban imposed entirely on the basis of the President’s bigotry, this one appears to be based at least in part on public safety concerns. Iran has turned into an epicenter of the Coronavirus thanks to the inept response of the Iranian government, which initially sought to play down the spread of the virus, and crushing U.S. sanctions that have limited Iran’s ability to import medical devices and medicine.
Coronavirus FAQs
A day before Iran’s parliamentary elections, news broke in Iran that the Coronavirus, which has spread throughout the world, had reached Iran. Details regarding the scope of the outbreak have been difficult to confirm, with many raising questions regarding the government’s official narrative.
This outbreak comes at a delicate time in Iran. The country is still reeling from the political ramifications of the November 2019 protests, the tit-for-tat escalation in January that almost ended in war, and the recently-concluded Parliamentary elections. The economy is also under severe pressure as a result of U.S. sanctions, raising questions about the country’s ability to combat the virus.