{"id":214740,"date":"2020-03-25T15:22:28","date_gmt":"2020-03-25T15:22:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=214740"},"modified":"2023-01-23T06:57:33","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T05:57:33","slug":"as-coronavirus-death-toll-rises-irans-regime-tries-to-shift-the-blame-via-speaking-of-conspiracy-theory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/as-coronavirus-death-toll-rises-irans-regime-tries-to-shift-the-blame-via-speaking-of-conspiracy-theory\/","title":{"rendered":"As Coronavirus Death Toll Rises, Iran\u2019s Regime Tries to Shift the Blame via Speaking of Conspiracy Theory"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Iran:
Iran: Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reiterated his rejection of US offers to assist with the response, citing unfounded conspiracy theories portraying COVID-19 as an American bioweapon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI, Mujahedin-e Khalq or MEK)<\/a> announced on March 24, that the coronavirus<\/a> has nearly claimed<\/span>\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0lives of 11,000<\/strong> people<\/a> across Iran, due to the regime\u2019s inaction and cover-up.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is becoming increasingly difficult for the regime\u2019s authorities to conceal the extent to which Iran\u2019s coronavirus epidemic has gotten out of control. As more and more information leaks to the public about the true death toll and likely number of infections, there are signs that leading officials are shifting their attention toward deflecting blame for the crisis. On Sunday, regime\u2019s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reiterated his rejection of US offers to assist with the response, citing unfounded conspiracy theories portraying COVID-19 as an American bioweapon. His position was amid a parallel campaign led by the regime\u2019s lobbies and apologists that the U.S. sanctions are the reason for the increasing death toll of the coronavirus.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Khamenei made no effort to explain how a disease could have been created by the US military, only to start spreading uncontained on American soil less than three months after the first cases were detected in Wuhan, China. Yet this unresolved question did not stop him from promoting a very elaborate narrative alleging US responsibility for the outbreak in Iran specifically.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Coronavirus Outbreak in Iran: As Death Toll Gets Close to 10,000, Khamenei Foolishly Blames U.S.
This proves the regime is the real virus and problem and as far as it continues its rule the #coronavirus<\/a> outbreak won\u2019t be controlled in #Iran<\/a> #COVID19<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/s46312sEnb<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 23, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n