Social and Political

Radiofarda – The Islamic Republic of Iran Red Crescent Society is set to financially assist two million Iranians who have lost their jobs amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, its acting chief said on Friday, April 3. Speaking at a news conference, Karim Hemmati said that nearly two million have been identified across the country who have lost their jobs and …

Radiofarda – The Commander of Coronavirus Combat Taskforce of Tehran on Thursday warned the authorities that despite a decline in the number of patients in the capital, the situation is not stable enough yet to discontinue social distancing measures. “The biggest mistake that can happen is to think that we have overcome the crisis,” Alireza Zali said. “We may have …

Radiofrada – A United Nations human rights official on Friday voiced concern over prisoners after reports of unrest in facilities prompted by worries over a coronavirus outbreak in countries including Iran, one of the worst-hit in the world. Iranian media have reported unrest in several prisons, and a mass escape from a facility in the west of the country, despite …

RFL/RE – Kambiz says the day he buried his 96-year-old grandmother, who died after contracting the coronavirus, was the “saddest and loneliest” day of his life. He was the only member of her large family who attended the burial at Tehran’s Behesht Zahra cemetery. The family did not hold a traditional postburial gathering in order not to endanger others and …

Al-Arabia – Iran’s death toll from the new coronavirus rose on Friday to 3,294 as it claimed 134 lives in the past 24 hours, according to Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpur.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The total number of people confirmed to be infected is 53,183, he said on state television, adding that 4,035 were “under observation.” a …

Radiofarda – President Donald Trump says the United States would think about the issue of sanctions to help Iran fight the coronavirus if Tehran asked for it. Responding to a reporter’s question during the White House briefing on Thursday April 2 if he would consider easing the sanctions on Iran to allow medical supplies reach the country, Trump said: “They …

Radiofarda – An Iranian lawmaker says the interior minister rejected his advice to postpone the February 21 parliamentary elections in Iran to prevent the quick spread of the coronavirus. Bahram Parsaee who represents the city of Shiraz says as soon as there was evidence of infections, he asked the interior minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli to postpone the elections or at least …

Radiofarda – Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani has tested positive for COVID-19, parliament’s department of public relations announced in a statement on Thursday, April 2. Responding to several members of parliament inquiring about Larijani’s health, the statement has affirmed that following the detection of some symptoms, Mr. Larijani was tested positive, and immediately quarantined. A former commander of the Islamic …

Radiofarda – The relatives of the 176 victims of the Ukrainian airliner shot down by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard over Tehran on January 8 have set up an association to seek justice for the death of their loved ones. In a video circulated on social media, Hamed Esmaeilion, a Canadian-Iranian dentist from Toronto, says members of the board of directors of the association …

Radiofarda – When it comes to the regime in Iran, the adage “old habits die hard” could not be truer. Even amid a negligent and botched response to the coronavirus pandemic, Tehran’s leaders are investing precious resources to further their nuclear program in violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. Some of these violations, like Iran’s …