Iran’s top security official has harshly rebuked the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s allegation that Tehran is covering up details of the coronavirus spread in the country.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club(YJC)-In a Persian tweet on Tuesday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani censured the US double standards and said the accusation comes as the White House has failed to release precise reports about the extent of damage it suffered in Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks on Ain al-Assad military base in Iraq.
Shamkhani also noted that Washington has refused to provide data on the downing of a US drone in Afghanistan as well as the number of flu-related deaths in the United States over the past year.
Earlier in the day, Pompeo claimed that the United States was "deeply concerned" Iran may have covered up details about the coronavirus outbreak, and he called on world countries to "tell the truth" about the epidemic.
"The United States is deeply concerned by information indicating the Iranian regime may have suppressed vital details about the outbreak in that country," Pompeo told reporters, also criticizing Beijing for what he claimed as the censorship of media and medical professionals.
"All nations, including Iran, should tell the truth about the coronavirus and cooperate with international aid organizations," he added.
Coronavirus part of 'maximum pressure' policy
In another tweet on Tuesday, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said the US was using the new coronavirus as a strategy to complete its "maximum pressure" policy against Tehran.