Coronavirus Outbreak: Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's advisor dies

With Coronavirus hitting the high-ranking levels of the Iranian government, the recent victim has been the advisor to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Mohammad Mirmohammadi, a council member that advises Iran's supreme leader passed away on Monday after being infected with the deadly Coronavirus. 

The Iranian state radio confirmed the death of the 71-year-old advisor to Ali Khamenei, who is among the senior-most leaders in Iran who contracted the virus. Last week, a member of the Iranian Parliament succumbed to the sickness. Iranian vice president Masoumeh Ebtekar and the head of Iran's Coronavirus task force Iraj Harirchi, are among the seven top officials who have reportedly been tested positive for the deadly virus. 

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The revelation of the Iranian vice president's illness throws Iran into perturbation, as she attended a cabinet meeting just a day before the detection of Coronavirus, thus putting the other members of the regime at risk, including the 80-year-old Supreme Leader of Iran. Last week, even Harirchi was seen evidently discomforted and perspiring, hours before he was diagnosed for Coronavirus. Now in quarantine, the Iranian Minister addressed a press brief in a room full of reporters and even gave a television interview to an Iranian news channel.

Iran has reported nearly 1,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the country, however, the numbers have been contested by international media and the global community, who accused the regime of downplaying the health crisis. The virus that has now affected over 80,000 people worldwide is now spreading in parts of Europe and the Middle East. 

Coronavirus in Iran 

After being accused of cover-up in the Coronavirus outbreak, the Iranian government led by Hassan Rouhani has now pledged to be transparent with its figures including the death toll. Iran's government's spokesperson, Ali Rabiei, made the statement standing next to the Iranian deputy health minister. "We pledge to be transparent about the reporting of figures," said Rabiei.

The pledge was made after an Iranian lawmaker accused the government of hiding the full extent of the coronavirus outbreak in Qom, which has now reported 50 deaths from the deadly virus. According to semi-official news agency ISNA, Ahmad Amiriabadi Farahani, an official from the holy city of Qom, accused Iran’s Health Minister of “lying” about the outbreak. 

Amid the Coronavirus outbreak in Iran, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that New Delhi was collaborating with Tehran to set up a screening process for the evacuation of Indian citizens stuck in the country. "Working on the issue of Indians in Iran anxious to return due to Coronavirus. I have seen many tweets in this regard. We are collaborating with the Iranian authorities to set up a screening process for the return of Indians," tweeted Jaishankar.

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