X
X
Contact Us
Many thanks!
Your message has been sent and we'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.
This article was published over 3 years ago

Coronavirus, Iran

Iranian Regime Loses Control of COVID-19

Photo: Pixabay

Iran is one of the most affected countries from COVID-19, the mortality rate is extremely high, including amongst young people. The actual numbers could be five times higher due to testing restrictions. There are two main reasons for this catastrophic explosion: the regime’s unwillingness and failure to deal with the pandemic and the effects of US-led sanctions.

Wednesday, 25 March 2020 12:00 (UTC)
Nina Mo
SLP — ISA in Austria
Print
294
X

Many Western correspondents explain the spread of the Coronavirus in Iran as due to the lack of trust in the regime, therefore people don’t follow the measures it proposes. Some reports describe the deep religiousness of society and the unwillingness to stop religious rituals and gatherings. Both are partly true, but reality is more complex. Of course, the Iranian working class is aware that COVID-19 exists and that it kills ordinary people every day, but because of the lack of supplies, especially in rural areas, they are desperate about what to do.

The regime lied about the outbreak of the Coronavirus for some weeks. Scientists now assume that the virus spread throughout January. Then, however, the regime was more concerned that big events such as the parliamentary elections and the festivities to celebrate the Islamic revolution should go ahead, knowing that in previous months, anger against the regime had intensified and protests had shaken the country. In addition, the regime’s political and economic relations with China are of growing importance. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-associated Mahan Air, for example, continued to transport religious students between China and Qom. Once they could no longer hide the existence of the virus, the regime spread conspiracy theories claiming that the virus was a US-controlled biological weapon.

Only after government ministers tested positive, the regime decided to close schools and universities, a measure which came far too late. The regime released statements instructing people to stay at home and avoid travelling. But for most of the working class who have to continue working to pay their rents and buy food this was practically impossible.

Now the authorities are losing more and more control. They have even released ten thousands of prisoners, because they know that hygienic conditions in the prisons are so disastrous, that an outbreak of COVID-19 would kill thousands. The regime’s failure to deal with the situation and the fact that ordinary people have been left to cope alone, led to dangerous speculation about supposedly effective protections. For example, one rumour spread in mid-March claimed that alcohol could prevent COVID-19. Since then, more than three dozen people have died by consuming manipulated methanol, which was being sold on the black market.

Sanctions and economic crisis

Against the background of COVID-19, the economic crisis in Iran is intensifying. Oil revenues continue to fall, and international isolation is increasing. Poverty and unemployment will rise dramatically in the next weeks and months.

The Trump administration stated on March 19 that the US will continue its policy of exerting maximum pressure on Iran. The sanctions have for years made the import of medical goods increasingly more difficult. Humanitarian imports — including medications — have decreased in recent years. Although Iranian companies account for about 70% of the country’s pharmaceutical needs, difficulties caused by restrictions on international financial transactions has led to a dramatic shortage of some specialist medicines and now equipment to fight COVID-19. Right now, not only are test kits rare, medical goods in general are hard to get and prices have exploded. There is a dramatic need for millions of masks and protective gloves. According to some reports, COVID-19 killed about 20 health-care professionals in less than 20 days after the first cases were revealed.

It is the poor who have to suffer the most from the outbreak of COVID-19. A lot of families have to share small flats with parents and grandparents, poor communities are densely populated. The shut-down of small local markets will lead to poverty and homelessness as people can’t afford to shut down their small businesses. Apart from shortages, ordinary people cannot afford proper medication. The economic crisis combined with sanctions has affected the cost of locally-produced products, as well as that of imported goods. In general, the cost of healthcare for families has risen by over 20% in the last year.

Repression and military power

The regime is using this situation to increase repression and military power. Journalists who reported about the situation in the hospitals and the rising number of infections were arrested and punished. The healthcare system is mostly controlled by the military. On 13th March, a committee to fight COVID-19 was formed by the regime consisting of the army, the IRGC, police and the secret service. They now have the authority to “register” everyone via Internet, telephone or even using home visits. By gaining access to all personal data means that there has been a dangerous increase in the power for the military and the IRGC. Additionally, it is likely that Iranian militia have already spread COVID-19 to Syria and Iraq.

In the fight against the Coronavirus, the Iranian working class can’t rely on the regime and its military. It is clear that the mismanagement of this crisis by the regime has already cost thousands of lives.

Solidarity amongst the working class

The Corona-crisis has intensified mistrust and anger amongst working people. They now see no other possibility than to organize themselves. All over the country, volunteer aid groups have emerged, people disinfect streets on their own initiative, distribute food to poorer or sick families and offer relief shifts to hospital cleaners and mortuary staff. Workers are collecting money amongst themselves in order to buy hand sanitiser, gloves and masks for municipal workers, who clean the streets, and others who can’t afford them. This kind of working class solidarity needs to be combined with angry resistance against the regime, like that we saw in recent months of 2019. The sanctions have to end immediately, and this corrupt and criminal regime needs to be overthrown by the working class in order to provide proper health care and an organized fight against the Coronavirus and its effects.

X
Solidarity Donation
Contact
Join
Report a Mistake
X
Report a Mistake
Found a mistake in the article? Found a broken link or an unloaded image or video?
We're absolutely committed to check the facts in all of our articles and reports in this website. If you find any factual inaccuracy, or also, any problematic typos or unclear parts, or any technical problem, please let us know and we'll take it into consideration.
Iranian Regime Loses Control of COVID-19 (25 Mar 2020)

Thank you.
Your message has been sent and we'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.
€11,193
2023 ISA Financial Appeal
Donate to Build a Movement on the Ground Against the War on Gaza, with an Amplified Socialist Voice