Iran’s security chief says the United States had better respond to international demands for it to clarify its role in creating and spreading the new coronavirus instead of pointing the finger of blame at Iran and China.
Engaging in “blame games is the US typical way of escaping accountability,” Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani tweeted on Wednesday.
“Instead of falsely accusing Iran and China, US officials need to respond to international inquiries about America’s role in creating and spreading the coronavirus,” he added.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed during a press conference in Washington D.C. on Tuesday that “the Wuhan virus is a killer and the Iranian regime is an accomplice,” alleging that Iran was “trying to avoid responsibility.”
Pompeo also accused China of running a “disinformation campaign,” which he said was “designed to shift responsibility” over the virus. The US official, meanwhile, deflected questions about the quality of Washington’s performance in controlling the virus.
The virus emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. It has so far killed more than 8,000 people and infected over 200,000 others globally. More than 3,200 have died and above 81,100 others been infected in China, while Iran has reported 988 fatalities and 16,169 cases of infection.