Iran Puts Armed Forces into Action after Deadly Coronavirus Claims 77 Lives

New Delhi, March 3, 2020:

Coronavirus has taken a toll on the Middle East with more than 2,350 cases now and Iran is trying to help curb the further spread of the deadly disease by putting its armed forces on duty on Tuesday.

The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has alerted the armed forces to assist health officials in combating the outbreak of coronavirus, which according to authorities, has claimed 77 lives in the country.

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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s decision came amid reports of as many as 23 members of the Parliament having the virus, including the head of the country’s emergency services.

“Whatever helps public health and prevents the spread of the disease is good and what helps to spread it is sin,” Mr. Khamenei was quoted as saying.

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Iran said that on March 3 they had plans to potentially mobilize 3,00,000 soldiers and volunteers to confront the virus. However, it was not clear if Khamenei’s order would set them in motion helping sanitize streets, direct traffic and track possible contacts.

It may be mentioned here that experts worry Iran’s percentage of deaths to infections, now around 3.3%, is much higher than other countries, suggesting the number of infections in Iran may be far greater than current figures show.

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