Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, May 15, 2020—On Wednesday, May 13, Iranian regime President Hassan Rouhani spoke at the Coronavirus Task Force HQ meeting and as usual insisted on his false claims that “when compared to many other countries, the regime’s performance in the fight against the novel coronavirus is superior. The people do trust and cooperate with the establishment.”
Rouhani did not hesitate to claim credit for the work and sacrifices of Iran’s doctors and nurses. “The work of our hospitals and our doctors, nurses and medical staff is also excellent which means, we cannot find the sacrifices made in Iran elsewhere in the world.”
However, Rouhani paradoxically used the word "difficult" more than 20 times.
“These days are difficult for the people… the [Persian calendar] New Year holidays [March 20-April 2] were very difficult for the people, as well as the month of Ramadan,” he said.
Naturally, Rouhani did not respond to the contradiction of how it is possible for a country and a state to be better than the rest of the world, but remain under hardship and pressure?
The reality is that the entire regime is full of these contradictions. From inconsistencies in statements made by Rouhani or other senior regime officials and a stark contrast to their claims. While Rouhani claims to have overcome and managed COVID-19, and the disease being in a descending phase, his own Health Minister says that the cause of new cases in Khuzestan Province, southwest Iran, are witnessed immediately after the government decided to reopen public areas.
#Iran: #Coronavirus death toll exceeds 41,500 in 317 cities
Despite Rouhani’ lies about success in managing the Coronavirus, regime officials warn of red status in various provinces.#COVID19 https://t.co/MBikRqcbwK— Mohammad Mohaddessin (@Mohaddessin) May 15, 2020
However, like always, Rouhani tried to blame the sanctions and downplay his own regime’s criminal policies that have caused endless misery for the Iranian people. Still, it is not hidden that the sanctions are a result of the regime’s own policies, which is based on continuing its nuclear program and terrorist activities in the region. Even some of the regime’s own officials believe that only 20 percent of the current economic problems are due to sanctions. Rather, it is largely rooted in deep and institutional corruption that Khamenei himself called a seven-headed dragon that has taken over all aspects of economic activity.
An example of this unprecedented corruption was on May 13 in a report published by the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission on the smuggling of goods and currency during 2016 and 2017. The first question is why was this report delayed for two years? Blocking this report and implementing it in the last days of the current Majlis is the result of the regime’s inner conflicts.
The report has mentioned that contrary to the claims raised by the Anti-Trafficking Task Force, smuggling figures in 2016 and 2017 are respectively $12, and $13.1 billion. A closer look reveals that $21.5-25.5 billion had been smuggled during those two years. As can be seen, the Anti-Money Laundering and Trafficking Task Force itself is the first party involved in such criminal activity.
More interestingly is that the same report states that 95% of the smuggling came from official sources, such as the country's customs. It should be noted that this is only related to smuggled goods that have entered the country from legal bases and customs, while unofficial bases such as ports and private airports related to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and some other institutions are not included.
The end result is that smuggled goods, which are cheap and uncompetitive without paying customs, have destroyed domestic products that have no support.
This is just one example showing the root of the contradictions. In all economic or social crises and dilemmas, the root lies within the regime itself. We can take the regime’s cover-up during the coronavirus outbreak and its deadly consequences and dire economic conditions due to institutional corruption and looting by regime officials as a good example.
The truth is that the regime neither wants nor can handle these crises because the regime itself is the main cause of these problems. This is the real reason behind regime officials’ contradictions and despicable lies in confronting the coronavirus crisis.
Over 41,500 people have died of the novel #coronavirus in 317 cities checkered across all of #Iran’s 31 provinces, according to reports tallied by the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK as of Wednesday afternoon local time, May 14.https://t.co/wO9cuJETIl
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 14, 2020
