Tag: Iran

300 die from drinking methanol to cure coronavirus in Iran

The death toll from alcohol poisoning in Iran has risen to 300 after people started to consume methanol because of a rumour that high proof alcohol could cure the coronavirus.

Iranian media reports that more than 1,000 have been sickened so far by ingesting methanol across the Islamic Republic, where drinking alcohol is banned and where those who do rely on bootleggers.

According to MailOnline, it comes as Tehran announced 144 new deaths from coronavirus on Friday, bringing its death toll to 2,378, and another 2,926 new confirmed cases, with a total of more than 32,300 infected.

There have been a spate of fake remedies spreading across social media in Iran, where people remain deeply suspicious of the government after it downplayed the crisis for days before it overwhelmed the country.

Dr. Knut Erik Hovda, a clinical toxicologist in Oslo who studies methanol poisoning and fears Iran’s outbreak could be even worse than reported, said: ‘The virus is spreading and people are just dying off, and I think they are even less aware of the fact that there are other dangers around.’ ‘When they keep drinking this, there’s going to be more people poisoned.’

Iran as been particularly badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, which is home to 80 million people. As of now, there is no known cure for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Scientists and doctors continue to study the virus and search for effective medicines and a vaccine.

March 30, 2020
Iran’s death toll from coronavirus climbs to 988

Iran’s death toll from the pandemic coronavirus has increased to 988, with 135 new deaths in the past 24 hours, a health ministry spokesman told state TV on Tuesday.

“The death toll is 988 … with 1,178 new infected people in the past 24 hours, now the total number of infected cases is 16,169 across the country,” said Kianush Jahanpur.

Jahanpur added that 5,389 people infected with the virus have recovered.

Iran reported its first confirmed coronavirus cases on Feb. 19, 2020 in Qom.

As of 14 March 2020, according to Iranian health authorities, there had been 611 COVID-19 deaths in Iran with more than 12,500 confirmed infections.

As of the same date, Iran has the third highest number of COVID-19 deaths after Mainland China and Italy, the highest in Western Asia and the third-highest number of cases, surpassed only by Mainland China and Italy.

March 17, 2020
Coronavirus: Buhari sympathizes with Italy, Iran, South Korea

Nigeria’s President President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday sent messages to Presidents Hassan Rouhani and Moon Jae-in of Iran and South Korea respectively, and the Prime Minister of Italy, Guiseppo Conte, expressing “deep sympathies” following increasing incidents of the deadly Coronavirus in their countries.

In the messages, President Buhari said the Nigerian government would continue to diligently carry out its duty to the international community by ensuring that the spread of the disease is curtailed.

The President also encouraged Nigerians to continue to show support to citizens of all the countries who are resident in Nigeria.

According to him, “There is no cause for panic. Italy, South Korea and Iran remain Nigeria’s allies in good and bad times.”

Buhari, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, while commending the three countries on their efforts to contain the virus, expressed confidence that, “with the support of the World Health Organisation and other global agencies all working together to contain the virus, it will only be a matter of time before the world sees an end to this disease.”

The Nigerian leader noted that, “So far, there have been no known cases of the disease on Nigerian soil, but for the penetration of a lone foreign national found to be a carrier of the virus.”

He also commended the diligent efforts of federal, state health officials as well as ports and border personnel in keeping Nigeria safe from the epidemic.

In fulfillment of the President’s promise to give the health authorities all that they need to keep Nigeria clear of the virus, the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning confirmed making the second approved payment in the sum N620 million last Friday, bringing the total payments made so far to N984 million.

March 9, 2020
Tragic! Iranian lawmaker dies of Coronavirus

An Iranian lawmaker died from the deadly coronavirus on Saturday, state news agency IRNA reported, one of several officials to succumb to the illness in the epidemic-hit country.

Fatemeh Rahbar, 55, was a conventional MP and had recently been elected to the parliament from the capital Tehran, the agency said.

She is the second lawmaker killed by the virus in Iran and one of seven politicians and government officials who have died in the outbreak since the country reported its first cases in mid-February.

Iran has been scrambling to contain the rapid spread of the virus, which so far has infected 4,747 people and killed at least 124.

Rahbar was among the top candidates in Tehran for the conservatives, who overwhelmingly won February’s general election marked by the lowest turnout in the Islamic republic’s history.

Iran has closed schools and universities, suspended major cultural and sporting events and reduced working hours across the country to slow the infection, which has spread to all of its 31 provinces.

March 7, 2020
Coronavirus: Iran releases 54,000 inmates to combat spread

Iran has temporarily released more than 54,000 prisoners in an effort to battle the spread of the new coronavirus disease in crowded jails.

Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili told reporters that the inmates were granted furlough after testing negative for Covid-19 and posting bail.

“Security prisoners” sentenced to more than five years will not be let out.

The jailed British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe may be freed soon, according to a British MP.

Tulip Siddiq cited the Iranian Ambassador to the UK as saying that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe “may be released on furlough today or tomorrow”.

Her husband said on Saturday that he believed she had contracted Covid-19 at Tehran’s Evin prison and that authorities were refusing to test her.

But Mr. Esmaili insisted on Monday that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe had subsequently been in contact with her family and “told them about her good health”.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was jailed for five years in 2016 after being convicted of espionage charges that she has denied. The UK has also insisted she is innocent.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We call on the Iranian government to immediately allow health professionals into Evin prison to assess the situation of British-Iranian dual nationals there.”

There have been more than 90,000 reported cases of Covid-19 worldwide and 3,110 deaths since the disease emerged late last year – the vast majority in China.

The outbreak in Iran has killed at least 77 people in less than two weeks.

Yesterday, the health ministry said the number of confirmed cases had risen by more than 50% for the second day in a row. It now stands at 2,336, although the real figure is believed to far higher.

Cases linked to Iran have also been reported by Afghanistan, Canada, Lebanon, Pakistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Iran reported 835 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 yesterday

A number of senior Iranian officials have contracted the virus. Among the latest is the head of the emergency medical services, Pirhossein Kolivand.

Twenty-three of the 290 members of parliament have also tested positive.

On Monday, a member of the Expediency Council, which advises Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died as a result of Covid-19 in Tehran. State media said Mohammad Mirmohammadi, 71, had a close relationship with Ayatollah Khamenei.

The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wore latex gloves at a tree-planting ceremony

At a tree-planting ceremony to mark World Wildlife Day yesterday, the supreme leader urged the public to observe the health ministry’s hygiene guidelines and ordered all government bodies to provide any necessary help to the health ministry.

Ayatollah Khamenei also insisted Iranian authorities were not concealing information about the scale of the problem, saying: “Our officials have reported with sincerity and transparency since day one. However, some countries where the outbreak has been more serious have tried to hide it.”

Iran’s outbreak, he added, “will not last long in the country and will pack up”.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said a nationwide screening campaign would begin on Wednesday.

Teams will visit patients who are suspected of being infected with Covid-19 and who do not have access to medical services.

A team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), who arrived in Iran on Monday, is supporting local health authorities.

The WHO said they would “review readiness and response efforts, visit designated health facilities, laboratories and points of entry, and provide technical guidance”.

The plane carrying the experts also contained a shipment of medical supplies and protective equipment to support more than 15,000 healthcare workers, as well as enough laboratory kits to test and diagnose almost 100,000 people.

March 4, 2020
Deputy Health Minister tests positive for Coronavirus

Iraj Harirchi, Iran’s Deputy Health Minister has tested positive for the coronavirus and has been quarantined, ILNA news agency reported on Tuesday.

No fewer than 95 people had been diagnosed with the dangerous disease.

The majority of confirmed cases in the country come from the city of Qom – a centre of traditional pilgrimage for Shia Muslims, with at least 15 Iranians dying from the disease.

Harirchi on Monday fiercely opposed putting Qom residents under quarantine. He said: “If We Shut Down Qom, People Would Go Travelling, spreading Coronavirus All Over the Country”.

Following previous reports about casualties in Iran, several countries, including Turkey, imposed temporary bans on people travelling to and from the Islamic Republic.

In the meantime, the deadly disease, originally discovered in China’s Wuhan, has killed over 2,600 people across the globe.

Some 80,000 have been infected, including 77,000 people in China, 1,200 in South Korea and 229 in Italy.

Austrian and Croatian authorities have now also confirmed the first cases of the disease in their countries.

February 25, 2020
Iran Must Go: Protest enters day 2 as Nigerians insist IMN, AI, others undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty must leave

For the second day on the spin, Nigerians took to the streets of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, demanding the expulsion of Iranians, Amnesty International and others fingered to be destabilising the country.

After Monday’s peaceful rally to the Iranian Embassy, led by the Concerned Citizens Coalition (CCC), these Nigerians, on Tuesday, took its displeasure to Amnesty International’s office.

In a statement by Convener, Mohammed Shuaibu, the group said it is time for A.I to leave as it has overtime acted against the nation’s interest.

According to Mr Shuaibu, Amnesty International entered a strategic pact with the Iranian government to provide protection for Islamic Movement in Nigeria and other militant groups.

While urging the security agencies to act fast, the Concerned Citizens advised A.I to “take their loot from Iran to other gullible countries where they can act as they wish.”

Failure to do so, however, the CCC added that Nigerians would indeed hold it responsible should there be a resurgence of violent and criminal activities in the country.

February 11, 2020
IMN: Leave our country, protesters tell Iranians over alleged plans to instigate war in Nigeria

Some Nigerians, on Monday, stormed the Iranian Embassy in Abuja, calling for the country’s nationals to leave its shores.

Led by the Concerned Citizens for Defence of Nigeria, the protesters demanded the immediate expulsion of Iranians and their agent of darkness from Nigeria.

In a statement by Convener, Mrs Victoria Ameh, the Concerned Citizens said the rally is necessitated by Iran’s fresh attempt at causing havoc in Nigeria through their proxy, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).

Formed about four decades ago, IMN advocates the creation of an Iranian-style Islamic state in Nigeria.

It was heavily influenced by the Iranian revolution, which saw Ayatollah Khomeini take power in 1979 after the overthrow of the US-allied Shah in a popular uprising.

The Concerned Citizens revealed that the Iranian government have pumped in millions of dollars in a bid to destabilize and overthrow the Nigerian government.

According to the group, “Iran would stop at nothing until they achieve their desire to see to the collapse of Nigeria, and this is what Nigerians in their numbers have come out to reject in its entirety.”

It further added that the latest move stems from the fact that Nigeria, just like many other countries didn’t take sides with it over the diplomatic row it had with the United States of America over the killing of one of its top military commander, Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Iraq.

The Concerned Citizens, therefore, warned that Nigeria’s integrity can’t be shaken, advising Iranian citizens and businesses to forthwith leave its shores.

February 10, 2020
SHAC alleges Iran, AI, others behind plot to destabilise Nigeria – SHAC

The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) has made a shocking revelation about an alliance between the Iranian government and Amnesty International to cause unrest in the country.

According to the group, Iran-backed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) is the tool being used, evident in the various protests and marches, by some disgruntled politicians and groups on the sponsorship of IMN.

The SHAC made this known at a press conference on Friday in Abuja, raising an alarm on Iran’s renewed bid to overthrow Nigeria’s democratically elected government.

In his address, Executive Secretary, Ibrahim Abubakar said fuelling crimes and cooking reports portraying the government to have failed is Iran and IMN’s latest gimmick.

To achieve this, Mr Abubakar added that Iran lured some self-proclaimed international non-governmental organisations to do its dirty job, with Amnesty International leading the bunch.

The SHAC further revealed that Amnesty International’s role is to justify crimes committed by IMN, making their false flag operations appear like random crimes.

The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre, therefore, urged the world to pay attention to the ongoing plans by the IMN to overthrow the government and plunge Nigeria into war aided by its romance with Amnesty International and Iran.

Rear full address below:

The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) has become aware of the escalation of activities aimed at destabilizing the government by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN). You must have observed that in recent days the group has continued to embark on provocative street protests and marches even when they have no right to this as a known terrorist group.

These protests are deliberately orchestrated to put the nation’s military and security organizations in bad light by creating the erroneous impression of disproportionate crack down on their members by the state. A manifestation of this is the constant claims of casualty from their protests.

The latest approach by the IMN now is to fuel crimes and then manufacture reports that claim the government is failing on account of rising crimes. A clear instance of this strategy in play is the report by SBM Intelligence titled “Rising Insecurity in Abuja” which sought to create the impression that the nation’s capital has succumbed to insecurity and that the government must be illegitimately sacked in this regard.

We are worried that the spate of crimes that had rocked some parts of the country were not unconnected with IMN’s quest to create an atmosphere of fear across the land while also raising funds from such criminal enterprises to pursue their terrorist agenda. The fact that they can now start touting Abuja, the nation’s capital as insecure speaks volume to what they had done in the past in other parts of the country and the evil they plan to unleash on the entire country.

Not to be overlooked are the partners that have worked with IMN to undermine Nigeria’s integrity. We have identified their international NGO partner, Amnesty International (AI), which has done everything possible to paint a Nigeria as a repressive state just so its client, IMN can continue to oppress and terrorize Nigerians unchallenged. We had in the past had cause to raise alarm over the unholy alliance between Amnesty International and IMN. What we have discovered is that AI has resorted to circumventing the credibility crisis our expose has brought upon it; this is being done by packaging its report and handing over to entities like SBM Intelligence to issue.

Unfortunately for this failed alliance, the patter of AI’s reporting, which dwells largely on hyperventilating on falsehood and half-truths is glaring to trace. The justification of crimes committed by IMN while making their false flag operations appear like random crimes are telltale markings of IMN-AI modus operandi, standard operating procedures that the discerning have become accustomed to seeing whenever resources have been deployed to undermine Nigeria’s interest.

The world must also be alerted that the hand of the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to move these puppets. The incentive for Iran is nothing other than its threat to deal with Nigeria for not dropping the legal process against the leader of IMN, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, who is standing trial in Kaduna state. This escalation by the world’s major state sponsor of terror is after it had unleashed the series of protests and uprising against the Buhari administration.

Iran has earmarked a huge sum of money for this round of onslaught against Nigeria. We understand that the financing is drawn from a $5million that it first committed to this evil agenda as far back as 2018, which some CSOs and political parties have been assessing in the last few weeks. Let the world note that this fund is not for any capital investment but to destabilize the peace of Nigeria.

The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) is therefore drawing the attention of the world to ongoing plans by the IMN to overthrow the government and plunge Nigeria into war with the active collusion and participation of Amnesty International and Iran.

It is therefore imperative to remind Nigerians that they hold the power to tell IMN, AI and Iran off with strict warning that they should not truncate the peace of Nigeria with their extremist ideology. The government has done much to restore peace and prosperity to Nigerians so this axis of evil should not destabilize the country for whatever reason.

February 7, 2020
Iran arrests officials responsible for shooting down Ukrainian plane

Iran said on Tuesday it had arrested people accused of a role in shooting down a Ukrainian airliner, Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said. He did not say how many or identify them.

A person who posted a video online last week of a missile striking the plane has been taken into custody by the elite Revolutionary Guards, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The arrests came as Iran also cracked down on protesters over the downing of the plane. Thirty people have been detained in protests that have swept the nation for four days since the military belatedly admitted its error.

Wednesday’s downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752, which killed all 176 people aboard, has created a new crisis for the Islamic Republic’s clerical rulers.

President Hassan Rouhani promised a thorough investigation into the “unforgivable error” in an address on Tuesday. It was the latest in a series of apologies by the leadership that has done little to quell public anger.

Britain, France and Germany also increased diplomatic pressure on Iran, launching a dispute mechanism to challenge Tehran for breaching limits on its nuclear program under an agreement which Washington abandoned in 2018.

Tehran has faced an escalating confrontation with the West and a wave of unrest since the United States killed Iran’s most powerful military commander in a drone strike on Jan. 3.

Iran shot down the plane on Wednesday when its military was on high alert, hours after firing missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq. It admitted the mistake on Saturday after days of denials.

New security camera footage shows two missiles, fired 30 seconds apart, hitting the plane after takeoff, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

U.S. intelligence officials said on Jan. 9 that the heat signatures of two surface-to-air missiles were detected near the aircraft.

In Iraq, a military camp at Taji, north of Baghdad, was hit by Katyusha rockets Tuesday night but no casualties were reported, an Iraqi military statement said.

Since the official admission, protesters, many of them students, have held daily demonstrations, chanting “Clerics get lost!” and calling for the removal of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in power for more than 30 years.

Police have responded to some protests with a violent crackdown, video posts on social media showed, with police beating protesters with batons, wounded people being carried, pools of blood on the streets and the sound of gunfire.

A video that emerged on Tuesday showed an officer using an electric baton to shock a man as he writhed on the ground.

Iran’s police have denied firing at protesters and said officers were ordered to act with restraint. The judiciary said 30 people had been detained in the unrest but authorities would show tolerance towards “legal protests”.

January 15, 2020