212 coronavirus deaths in Iran and a message from the US State Department
The number of coronavirus deaths in Iran has reached 212 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 53,095. The US State Department emphasized in a Twitter message that the healthcare sector has never been and will never be subject to sanctions.
The spokesman for the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Health announced the death toll in the past 24 hours at 212. Thus, the total number of deaths from the disease has reached 53,095.
According to ISNA news agency, Sima Sadat Lari said that over the past 24 hours, based on definitive diagnostic criteria, 7,453 new patients with COVID-19 have been identified in the country, of which 1,147 were hospitalized.
According to statistics from the Iranian Ministry of Health, the total number of COVID-19 patients in the country has reached 1,138,530.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health added that currently, based on the latest analysis, 12 counties are in red status, 288 counties are in orange status, and 148 counties are in yellow status.
He added: "The counties of Zarrin Dasht in Fars Province, Baft in Kerman Province, Gomishan in Golestan Province, Astara, Bandar Anzali, Rudsar and Talesh in Gilan Province, and Amol, Behshahr, Ramsar, Galugah and Neka in Mazandaran Province are in red status."
US State Department Twitter
The US State Department's Persian-language Twitter account responded to claims by Islamic Republic officials that Iran is unable to procure medicine and effectively combat the coronavirus due to sanctions.
"The United States continues to offer assistance to Iran to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. We first offered assistance in February, and that offer still stands. However, Ayatollah Khamenei has rejected U.S. assistance," the State Department said in a three-part tweet.
In another part of the US State Department tweet, we read: "We have never and will not sanction Iran's healthcare sector or humanitarian and medical assistance to Iran. Instead, Iran must adopt the Financial Action Task Force's banking reforms so that banks can do business with them again."
The Islamic Republic of Iran has refused to sign the international agreement “Financial Action Task Force” to combat money laundering and terrorism, abbreviated as FATF. The organization gave Iran several years to pass a law in this regard. After the Expediency Discernment Council and the Guardian Council opposed its adoption, the Islamic Republic of Iran was placed on the blacklist.
Out of 190 countries in the world, 188 have signed the agreement. Only two countries, Iran and North Korea, have refused to sign it.
For this reason, the US State Department added in its tweet: "The regime should spend tax money not on terrorists abroad but on improving healthcare, schools, water, and infrastructure for the Iranian people."
Source: DW
