More than a year has gone by since the start of the coronavirus epidemic in Iran. So far, more than 234,100 people have died of the virus, according to the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). According to Iran’s unofficial statistics, more than 150,000 people have died. And according to official statistics, more than 61,000 Iranians have died due to the coronavirus.

While the high number of deaths is catastrophic, the catastrophe is compounded by the regime’s alignment with this virus.

Iran government’s interest in the coronavirus

The state-run daily Jahan-e-Sanat in an article entitled, ‘Are politicians interested in the coronavirus’ continuity?’, has shown that the Iranian government has welcomed the continuation and expansion of the coronavirus. This daily admitted that the Iranian government is using this virus against the community to exercise more hegemony.

It wrote: “The government also delayed the use of scientific and vaccination methods and causes more concerns for the people. The involvement of people in the problems caused by the coronavirus epidemic, including illness and its problems with economic pressures caused by the business recession, denies the power and motivation for the management of public affairs. It opens the government’s hands more than before to move in line with its goals and neglect public interest. In addition, the limits necessary for preventing the expansion of pandemic provides the possibility of more governmental administration on the private life of citizens.”

Then it points to some examples of the government benefiting from the coronavirus crisis: “Similarly, the rules for the prohibition of traffic from 9 p.m. at nights, or dealing with parties, are very desirable for a government that tends to control the lives of its citizens. With the expansion of the coronavirus pandemic and the creation of heavy quarantines and the prevention of citizens’ presence in public spaces, they have risen some kind of peace. In areas where there was some kind of political protests, these protests have calmed down.”

But this daily warns that although the coronavirus may slow down the conflict between the people and the government, it would make things more dangerous:

“Although the coronavirus virus crisis delays the conflict, but the price of this delay is the accumulation of challenging issues in the society. In other words, when the community is freed from the claws of the coronavirus, political, social, and economic faults will move and will be more destructive.”

And as a solution for this situation, it suggests, “the government should try to break this spell with the coming of Biden and by the given positive pulses from the United States. The deprivation of Iran from the science and knowledge of the world to contain the coronavirus can lead to severe social and political implications in the future.”

The daily notified Iran’s rulers of the mounting anger of the people, writing: “The people are tired of political prosecutions over the coronavirus and other things around them. Iranians have always been the people of patience. But their patience has its limits.

“Therefore, the government should make all their efforts and politics in line with the vaccine needed by the country and securing the people against this mysterious disease as soon as possible. Each day, the delay in implementing this can have heavy security and political consequences for our country.”