P
olitics
Iran’s Virus Diplomacy With US Sanctions Intact, Tehran’s Desperate Plea for Funds Gains Traction in Europe and the Gulf by Yasmine El-Geressi The coronavirus has hit the Middle East at a time when the region is already burdened with a series of long-running conflicts, economic crises, and political unrest. The first Covid-19 deaths in the region were reported on February 19, when two Iranians died from the virus in the holy city of Qom. The economically hamstrung country quickly became the Middle East’s coronavirus epicenter and currently has almost 5,000
official deaths, although the unofficial numbers are expected to be much higher. According to many predictive models, the coronavirus could kill 0.5 million to 1.5 million people in the Islamic republic and authorities in Tehran have come under extensive scrutiny at home and abroad for their delayed response and lack of transparency. As the country faces an internal struggle to combat the virus, many are questioning how the emergency will impact relations between a desperate Tehran and its adversaries.
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