212 Coronavirus Deaths in Iran and U.S. State Department Message
The number of coronavirus deaths in Iran over the past 24 hours reached 212, bringing the total death toll to 53,095. The U.S. State Department emphasized in a Twitter message that the healthcare sector has never been and will never be sanctioned.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Health announced 212 deaths in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of deaths from the disease to 53,095.
According to the ISNA news agency, Sima Sadat Lari said that over the past 24 hours, based on definitive diagnostic criteria, 7,453 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in the country, with 1,147 of them hospitalized.
Based on statistics from Iran’s Ministry of Health, the total number of COVID-19 patients in the country has reached 1,138,530.
The Health Ministry spokesperson added that currently, based on the latest analyses, 12 cities are in red status, 288 cities in orange status, and 148 cities in yellow status.
He added: “The cities of Zarin Dasht in Fars Province, Baft in Kerman Province, Gomishan in Golestan Province, Astara, Bandar Anzali, Rudsar, and Talesh in Gilan Province, and Amol, Babol, Ramsar, Gol Gashan, and Neka in Mazandaran Province are in red status.”
U.S. State Department Twitter
The Persian-language Twitter account of the U.S. State Department responded to claims by officials of the Islamic Republic that Iran is unable to produce medicine and effectively combat the coronavirus due to sanctions.
In a three-part tweet, the U.S. State Department stated: “The United States continues to offer assistance to Iran to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. We first made an offer of assistance in February and that offer remains standing. However, Ayatollah Khamenei has rejected U.S. assistance.”
In another part of the tweet from the U.S. State Department, it reads: “We have never sanctioned and will never sanction Iran’s healthcare sector or humanitarian assistance and medicine for Iran. Instead, Iran must approve banking reforms by the Financial Action Task Force working group so that banks can do business with them again.”
The Islamic Republic of Iran has refrained from signing the international agreement “Financial Action Task Force” aimed at combating money laundering and terrorism, abbreviated as FATF. This organization gave Iran several years to pass legislation in this field. After the Expediency Discernment Council and the Guardian Council opposed its approval, the Islamic Republic of Iran was placed on the blacklist.
Of 190 countries in the world, 188 have signed this agreement. Only two countries, Iran and North Korea, have refused to sign it.
For this reason, the U.S. State Department added in its tweet: “The regime should spend tax money not for terrorists abroad but for improving healthcare, schools, water, and infrastructure for the Iranian people.”
Source: DW
