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US Fingers Iran for Exporting COVID-19

Jeff Seldin

   WASHINGTON - Fears Iran would serve as a launching pad for the
   coronavirus pandemic, potentially wreaking havoc on the Middle East,
   are coming true,according to U.S. officials, who point to a growing
   volume of evidence.

   The State Department Monday accused Iran of transmitting the
   coronavirus,which causes the diseaseCOVID-19, to multiple countries,
   saying that, in at least five instances, a country's first case of the
   virus was "directly imported from Iran."

   "The Wuhan virus is a killer and the Iranian regime is an accomplice,"
   U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters during a visit to
   Afghanistan.

   "The regime continues to lie to the Iranian people and the world,"
   Pompeo added in a statement. "They put Iranians and people around the
   world at greater risk."

   Separately, other State Department officials voiced concernthatthe
   extent of the damage could be far worse, both for Iran and the
   region.'¯

   "The 'Iranian regime is hiding a significant amount of information
   about the coronavirus outbreak," a State Department spokesperson told
   VOA. "This lack of transparency poses a significant health risk to the
   Iranian people, as well as to Iran's neighbors."

   COVID blame game'¯

   Tehran, which has been hit harder than any other Middle Eastern country
   with more than 23,000 cases, has blamed the United States for its
   struggles.

   Iranian Foreign MinisterJavadZarif Monday decried U.S. sanctions on
   Tehran as "mass punishment," preventing Iran and the world from being
   able to effectively counter the pandemic.

     Iranian people appreciate the growing global campaign of government
     & civil society leaders calling for lifting of illegal U.S.
     sanctions.
     U.S. is NOT listening, impeding global fight against [1]#COVID19.
     The ONLY remedy: DEFY U.S. mass punishment.
     MORAL & PRAGMATIC imperative.
     -- Javad Zarif (@JZarif) [2]March 23, 2020

   '¯A day earlier, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, took to
   Twitter to suggest the U.S. might even be responsible for the outbreak.

   "I don't know how true it is. But when there's such an allegation, can
   a wise man trust you?" Khamenei asked. "You could be giving medicines
   that spread the virus or cause it to remain."

   The tweet drew a sharp rebuke Monday from the White House and the State
   Department, both of which accused Khamenei of lying.

     The Iranian regime lied about downing PS752, the number of
     protesters killed in November, the historically low turnout in
     February's parliamentary elections, and now the Chinese virus. The
     world knows better and so do the Iranian people.
     [3]https://t.co/Zjyt0NDfod
     -- NSC (@WHNSC) [4]March 23, 2020

   Iran's airline flying amid outbreak'¯

   Specifically, the State Department has pointed to Tehran's willful
   negligence,including its use of the state-backed airline,'¯Mahan Air,
   which it says conducted at least 55 flights between Tehran and various
   destinations in China.

   For weeks, such flights have worried officials and analysts, who note
   Mahan has continued to fly to Syria, and has permanent routes that
   connect Tehran with countries from Lebanon to Pakistan.
   

References

   Visible links
   1. https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   2. https://twitter.com/JZarif/status/1241953525896286209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   3. https://t.co/Zjyt0NDfod
   4. https://twitter.com/WHNSC/status/1242160095246647297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

   Hidden links:
   5. file://localhost/middle-east/voa-news-iran/us-fears-iran-facilitating-spread-coronavirus

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