As Covid-19 Deaths Rise, Iranian Officials Blame the People

On October 3, the Iranian government finally announced a new lockdown and restrictions in Tehran after the coronavirus pandemic claimed the lives of thousands of citizens. “Under the restrictions, universities and education centers, mosques, cinemas, museums, wedding halls, beauty salons, gyms, cafes, zoos, and swimming pools will be closed,” state-run TV reported.

Also, on October 6, President Hassan Rouhani canceled his scheduled meeting with the Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, fearing to contract Covid-19. A day earlier, Ghalibaf had visited a hospital allocated to treating coronavirus patients, according to Iranian media.

However, Iranian officials despicably lay the blame on citizens for the new spike of new coronavirus cases and deaths. This is while authorities are mainly responsible for the intensification of the health crisis. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis in Iran, the government prioritized economic and political goals rather than public health.

In January, Mahan Airlines, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), continued its flights to and from China despite the coronavirus outbreak. The ayatollahs also allowed hundreds of thousands of Chinese acolytes to commute to Qom province, central Iran, leading this province to become Iran’s epicenter of Covid-19.

In February, authorities also kept citizens in the dark about the outbreak to mark the Islamic Republic establishment’s 41st anniversary and hold the Parliamentary elections. “We told the people as soon as we found out that the coronavirus had entered Iran,” Rouhani said on March 21.

Rouhani’s government announced two Covid-19 deaths in Qom province on February 19. However, the Interior Ministry held elections on February 21 despite the disease’s risk of contagion among voters. Later, the Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli implicitly expressed his regret about announcing first death cases.

“We received recommendations saying that ‘It would have been better than the elections were held without notifying the people about coronavirus,’” Rahmani Fazli said on February 23.

Furthermore, the government did not provide minimum supportive packages to families affected by the health crisis. At least 600,000 employees and workers lost their job in this period. In April, the Majlis Research Center predicted 2-6 million people would lose their jobs due to Covid-19.

However, authorities pushed millions of workers and employees to workplaces contaminated with coronavirus instead of offering essential supplies. Since April 12, Iran faced the second wave of the Covid-19 crisis because of Khamenei denied spending any of his $200-billion wealth on the people’s health.

In August, Hassan Rouhani frankly announced that the crowded Muharram mourning ceremonies must be held across the country. “We must hold mourning ceremonies everywhere for Imam Hossein [the slain grandson of Prophet Mohamed], in villages and cities, and in areas where we say are in code red, yellow or alarming conditions. Whatever it may be, these mourning ceremonies must be held,” Rouhani emphasized at the National Covid-19 Task Force’s session on July 25.

Meanwhile, the Iranian government exposed many students to health risks by holding college entrance exams in unsuitable and crowded halls. On September 5, Rouhani and his Education Minister Morteza Haji Mirzaei reopened schools and sent millions of students to classrooms contaminated with coronavirus. They touted this irresponsible decision as a sign of “defeating the Covid-19.”

Less than a month later, they reclosed schools after coronavirus claimed the lives of tens of students, parents, teachers, and their family members. “244 of our colleagues in schools and 232 students have contracted Covid-19. Twenty-one of our colleagues and five students have died of Covid-19,” said Razavi Khorasan Province Education Department director on September 30.

However, Rouhani and his administration’s officials frequently blame the people for not abiding by health protocols. To hide his government’s imprudence, Rouhani also criticized citizens for misusing and wasting food and medication. “Medicines are bought in high volumes and remain stored at home. Misuse of food and medicines is harmful. According to reports I have received, in recent days, 40 percent of food products have been wasted,” Rouhani said on October 1.

According to Rouhani, the people are responsible for hundreds of thousands of their family members and loved ones falling victim to the coronavirus. And they are accountable for the shortage of food and medication.

However, Rouhani does not clarify what he and his government are actually doing? He previously pointed the finger at the White House as the primary source of the country’s troubles and hardships. But these claims only show the deep gap between society and the state.

In other words, Rouhani unintentionally intensified the people’s mistrust of the ruling system and loudly announced he and his government do not care about citizens’ pains, dilemmas, and desires. In 2013, when Rouhani took the presidency seat, he named his cabinet as the administration of hope and prudence. Today, his allies openly say that they have seen nothing expect failure and imprudence and demand his resignation.