- Iranians holding Ashura mourning for Imam Hussein
- Third step: Iran officially informs EU of plan to expand nuclear R&D
- Iran expands nuclear R&D program: Rouhani
- Iran goes ahead in space tech, despite US sanctions: ISA
- Resistance Front undermining Israeli regime power: Top commander
- Iran: 7 crew members of detained UK ship freed
- US addiction to sanction threaten its power: Iran’s Zarif
- Dutch role in 2007 Stuxnet attack on Iran’s nuclear site under scrutiny: Iraian FM Spox.
- Iran: ‘Sustainable Security 2019’ kicks off in Caspian Sea
- Iran’s Zarif leaves Tehran for Moscow
- Shiraz University ranked 1st in liver transplantation: Iranian health official
- Japan’s Abe to meet Iran’s president to discuss easing tension in region
- Downing of US spy drone shattered war threats against Iran: Top IRGC commander
- IAEO head reports development of first ion-therapy hospital in west of Asia
- Iranian Taekwondo team wins 2019 World Cup championship
- US sanctions failed to force Iran to buckle: Report
- Crew fixing Iran oil tanker broken down in Red Sea
- As Iranians hold nerves, US seeks to scare off trade
- Leader expresses concern about Kashmir, urges India to follow fair policy toward Muslim-majority region
- Iran saffron exports down due to smuggling, government restrictions: Exporter
- Iran FM warns US against ‘serious miscalculation’ in Persian Gulf
- Iran’s resistance policy led to release of oil tanker: MP
- Iran in reverse brain drain as top students come home in rising numbers
- Iran official calls for compensation for tanker seizure
- Iran hails N Korea for standing against ‘unilateral’ US demands
- Shia Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Ghadir
- North Korea praises Iran’s anti-US struggle
- Zarif says to meet French president Friday
- Iranian court hearing case of UK oil tanker
- Over half of Japanese voters oppose joining US-led anti-Iran coalition in Persian Gulf: Poll
- IME trade ups by 21 percent in July
- Finland backs INSTEX in defiance of US
- US anti-Iran policy in high seas harms Europeans: LA Times
- Iran, China confer on Syria
- Iran, Finland share views on Persian Gulf dialogue forum: Zarif
- Iran warns US against seizure of oil tanker
- Iraq eager to benefit from Iranian Police’s experience
- Iran planning 3rd step to reduce nuclear commitments: Spokesman
- Leader grants clemency to over 1,000 Iranian inmates
- Registration for Arbaeen Pilgrimage to begin in Iran on Friday
- Iran, Iraq agree to reopen Khosravi border crossing
- Iran deplores suicide attack at Kabul wedding hall
- Iran to hold int'l hand-woven carpets expo
- Zarif meets with Iran-Kuwait Friendship Group members
- Adrian Darya oil tanker not under any sanctions, says Iran envoy
- ‘Iran to stay in nuclear deal as long as its interests are met’
- India envoy happy with positive trend of trade with Iran
- Iran’s annual export of white meat tops 2.5m tons: Minister
- Iranian scientist discovers new state of matter
- Iran, Japan diplomats discuss bilateral ties
- Iran, Ansarullah, European representatives Yemen developments
- ‘Iran to become self-sufficient in producing aircraft engines'
- US issues seizure warrant for Iranian supertanker 'Grace 1'
- Neanderthal tooth unearthed near Iran’s Zagros mountain
- Iran’s Zarif due in Kuwait on Saturday
- US faces humiliating defeat after Gibraltar releases Iranian tanker: Envoy
- Spokesman rejects claim on Iran’s commitment in exchange for tanker release
- Zarif reacts to release of Iranian tanker in Gibraltar
- Israel, UAE engaged in secret talks on Iran arranged by US: Report
- US threatens visa ban as Iranian-operated tanker sets to sail from Gibraltar
- Enemies must factor Iran's global power in their calculations: IRGC's chief commander
- Trump’s administration conflicting messages to Iran baffle go-betweens: Report
- Gibraltar releases Iran-operated tanker despite US pressure
Sunday, 02 August 2020_The Iranian Health Ministry has rejected BBC Persian’s allegations about the “real” number of COVID-19 infections and deaths in Iran, advising the British Broadcasting Corporation to work instead on the questionable COVID-19 toll reported by the UK government.
In comments on Saturday, Iran’s Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima-Sadat Lari expressed regret that BBC Persian has tried to create ambiguity by quoting “unnamed” sources, using phrases like “it seems”, and applying an unscientific methodology.
“Iran decisively pursue the scientific path approved by the World Health Organization [in reporting the COVID-19 statistics],” she clarified.
She also strongly recommended that “individuals and media outlets refrain from commenting on scientific issues with political motivations.”
Her comments came after BBC Persian cited a list of medical data it claims to have received from “an unnamed source working with Iran’s government”, and alleged that the real number of COVID-19 cases in Iran was more than 450,000 and the tally stood at 42,000 by July 21.
This comes as the official number of COVID-19 cases reported by the Health Ministry on July 21 was 278,827 and the death toll was 14,634 (almost one-third of the figure cited by BBC).
“Had we sought to conceal the truth, we could act like many countries including Europeans and report the first cases several weeks later, or hide the second wave of the outbreak as many countries did because of political and often economic reservations. However, we acted in a totally transparent way,” Lari said.
She noted that Iran has been as transparent as possible in reporting the real aspects of the pandemic, and was one of the first countries in the world to announce its first coronavirus cases despite being one of the last countries in the northern hemisphere to be affected by the virus.
Also in recent weeks, she said, Iran has declared its being affected by the second wave of the outbreak earlier than many other countries without any political or economic consideration.
She finally advised British media to focus instead on tens of reports released so far on the ambiguities in the UK government’s COVID-19 figures, particularly the real death toll in the country’s care homes.
Lari also called on BBC to cover the official statistics of certain regional countries which “have not even reported 10 percent of their COVID-19 deaths.”
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