While the News Cycle has mainly been zeroed in on all things Coronavirus in the last few weeks, events have continued to unfold around the world.
Let’s check in on Iran, shall we?
After all, Ilhan Omar decided we needed to turn our attention there.
Ben Weingarten explains:
In the face of a global pandemic, one might think a U.S. representative’s sole focus would be on the well-being of her constituents. But in the case of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn, one would be incorrect. She is using the Wuhan coronavirus to bash America to the benefit of the Iranian regime.
On March 13, Omar, the subject of my new book “American Ingrate,” retweeted a thread blaming a medical supplies shortage in Iran on U.S. sanctions, writing, “We need to suspend these sanctions before more lives are lost.”
She tweeted this in spite of the fact that it is the U.S. government’s long-standing policy, including during this pandemic, to permit the sale of “agricultural commodities, food, medicine, and medical devices to Iran.” Reflecting America’s generosity, Congress allows such transactions knowing Iran has historically exploited humanitarian aid to evade sanctions and underwrite its malign efforts.
She never misses an opportunity to shill for our enemies and dump on the country she now calls home.
What does Iran itself say about American sanctions inhibiting their disease response? They claim everything is under control.
US sanctions have not stopped Tehran from combating the coronavirus pandemic, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated at an economic cabinet meeting over the weekend.
Rouhani’s comments contradict the narrative that his foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has delivered to Western audiences in the hope of securing sanctions relief, including claims the US is waging “medical terrorism” against Iran.
Radio Farda termed Zarif’s efforts a “weeks-long propaganda campaign in the press and social media targeting the United States and Europe about the adverse impact of the sanctions on Iran’s ability to confront the outbreak.”
However, Rouhani said “Iran has no problem in providing foreign currency until the end of the [Iranian] year,” in March 2021.
The Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Rouhani also said “we will have no problem” with regard to medical and pharmaceutical demands.
So the options are to call them liars or to take them at their word that they don’t need our help. Neither of those options are especially attractive for Ilhan Omar.
While we’re on the topic, what ELSE do we know about the goings-on of Iran?
Well, they’ve got about a half-million cases of Chinese Coronavirus and have refused US aid… with no signs of their curve flattening any time soon.
They are steadfastly keeping Christian political prisoners in jail — exposing them to the disease — despite releasing others… even after they have been granted a retrial over ginned up charges over issues of blasphemy.
They have lied to their people about Coronavirus kits, wrongly blaming sanctions. (A claim Ilhan dutifully parroted.)
The news website Iran International reported on Saturday that it “received documents that disprove the claims made by Iranian officials about the lack of coronavirus test kits In Iran due to sanctions.
“The documents seen by Iran International show that Iranian officials received the first offer to import test kits on January 25.“
The report said that on January 25, the “Fardavar Azma Iranian company, which is the exclusive representative of the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, announced its readiness to import coronavirus test kits. Roche is one of the largest manufacturers of corona test kits in the world.”
According to Iran International, “On March 21, Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi stated that there was a lack of coronavirus test kits in Iran before February 11. He also blamed the sanctions for hindering Iran’s ability to import coronavirus test kits.”
They have been doing some saber-rattling with America and were called on it.
They have been precipitating a serious potential virus crisis on their neighbors in Afghanistan.
He joined a large migration of some 200,000 Afghans and counting who have been flowing home across the border for weeks – from a country that is one of the world’s biggest epicenters of the pandemic to an impoverished homeland that is woefully unprepared to deal with it.
At the border, Noori lined up with thousands of other returning refugees earlier this month, crowded together waiting to cross. “I saw women and children on the border, and I was thinking, what if they get infected now, here?” the 20-year-old told The Associated Press.
Oh… and you remember that drone strike against Solemani?
Yeah, hard to believe that was just a couple of months ago, isn’t it?
Well, his death has led to some… ‘issues’ … among his military heirs:
Now, sources in the Iran-backed factions of the PMF and commanders in groups less close to Tehran describe growing fractures over leadership and reduced Iranian funds, thwarting attempts to unite in the face of adversity.
The rifts are accelerating a retreat from the political arena, where militia leaders who once controlled government jobs and parliament seats are in hiding for fear of assassination by the United States and confront anti-Iran dissent on the streets. They face the installing of a U.S.-aligned prime minister who signals he would check the dominance of Iran’s proxy groups. — Reuters
