VOA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday continued to chart a collision course with Washington over Iran. Erdogan is categorically ruling out enforcing American sanctions intended to put Iran in an economic straitjacket. “It is impossible for us to cancel relations with Iran with regard to oil and natural gas. We will continue to buy our natural gas …

VOA – The United States is turning up its “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, slapping fresh sanctions on 20 companies and individuals for bolstering Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and elsewhere. The U.S. Treasury Department unveiled the latest round of sanctions Thursday, accusing the companies and individuals of acting as part of a front for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force. …

Amnesty – The Iranian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release hundreds of prisoners of conscience amid grave fears over the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Iran’s prisons. The authorities should take measures to protect the health of all prisoners and urgently consider releasing pre-trial detainees and those who may be at particular risk of severe illness or death. First UA: …

Al-Monitor – Iranians from all walks of life are supporting each other amidst the anxiety, fear and increasing deaths due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the country. One of the first morale-boosting videos came from a profession hit very hard by the coronavirus — doctors — who have been working nonstop. They posted videos of themselves dancing with each other. The videos went viral, leading to …

Radiofarda – Data gathered by Radio Farda from various national and local media in Iran, as well as comments made by regional authorities and Health Ministry officials, indicate 3,036 people have fallen victim to the novel coronavirus. Meanwhile, the data show that 59,120 persons have tested positive and hospitalized for contracting the deadly virus in the country’s 31 provinces since …

Radiofarda – The New Delhi Parsi Association has sent its second relief cargo, including medicine and medical equipment, to coronavirus-hit Iran, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)-linked Fars news agency reported. Zoroastrian Parsis from India brought medical supplies for Iran to fight coronavirus. A leader of Iran’s Zoroastrian community, Sepanta Niknam (L) March 25, 2020 Followers of the Iranian monotheist …

Radiofarda – The family of an imprisoned U.S. navy veteran in Iran who was allowed to go on a medical furlough said on Wednesday that he has coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms and called on the Iranian government to allow him to go home for medical treatment. In a Tweeter thread on March 26, the Free Michael White campaign said since being …

Radiofarda – A healthcare official of the Qom Province on March 26 said that the 200,000 residents of the province who have traveled out must go back as soon as possible and self-isolate. Mohammad-Reza Qadir, Head of Qom Medical Sciences University, on Wednesday said those who have traveled out will be screened to identify and quarantine infected individuals. According to …

Al-Arabia – Iran does not “need” any US help to combat coronavirus but is ready to help the US against the virus, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami said on Thursday. As of Thursday, 2,234 in Iran have died from coronavirus, and there are 29,406 confirmed cases. “The Americans’ remarks of wanting to help …

Al-Arabia – A hospital in the Iranian city of Qazvin has been treating coronavirus patients since the first week of February, according to a nurse at the hospital, contrary to the insistence of Iranian authorities, who say they were alerted to the outbreak of the virus in the country on February 19. https://vid.alarabiya.net/2020/03/26/iraniannurse654a4008/iraniannurse654a4008___iraniannurse654a4008_video.mp4 Iran’s semi-official ILNA news agency published a …