Iran records massive spike in coronavirus deaths

The Islamic Public of Iran’s death toll from Coronavirus COVID-19 has risen by 117 in the past day to 4,474, health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said on Sunday.

The Islamic Republic has recorded 71,686 cases of the new coronavirus which causes the disease, Jahanpur said.

Iran the country hardest hit by the pandemic in the Middle East.

On the other hand, President  of Iran Hassan Rouhani says Iran has handled the novel coronavirus outbreak better than Europe and the United States, assuring that the country’s stocks of basic commodities replenished better than ever.

“We had a sanctions virus, to which the coronavirus was added, but you did not have the sanctions virus. You have one virus while we have two viruses,” he said Sunday, addressing Europe and the United States.

“We did better than you in the fight against the coronavirus,” he said during a meeting of the National Headquarters for Managing and Fighting the Coronavirus.

President Rouhani said in fighting the virus, the Iranian people resisted well, took each other’s hands and helped and assisted each other.

“This is an honor for all, for all our loved ones and people. Yes, our situation is relatively good in the fight against the disease and the dangerous virus, and our situation is better in comparison with some countries.”

Illegal US sanctions have hampered the virus fight in Iran, which has confirmed more than 70,000 infections since the outbreak was reported in the country in late February.