Brian Hook
Special Representative for Iran
United States Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Corona virus (COVID19) in Iran: A Pandemic
Dear Brian Hook,
We are writing to inform you of the exacerbating situation in Iran with regards to the rapid spread of the novel corona virus, COVID-19, which threatens the regional and international safety and security, and cordially request for immediate intervention of the international community to contain and fight the said virus in Iran, suffering from a severely incompetent government.
Our findings show that:
1) According to the reports delivered from inside the government sources, the registered number of people infected with the virus has risen from about 23,000 to at least 158,421 during the past week. Absent a reliable management system overseeing the soon-to-be pandemic disease in Iran, the estimation of the people who have contracted the disease in Iran, rendered in unofficial reports by prominent hospitals and physicians, is a number between 300,000 to 400,000 infected cases so far, and it is counting.
2) The reports show that the highest level of the virus is spread among families, as it has easily spread from one family member to another. Self-medication, lack of people’s awareness, government ineptness, and religious fanaticism of the Iranian leaders refusing to take decisions to contain and fight the disease has led to widespread infection of a rather considerable number of people in a very short period of time. The rate of increase in the number of the infected people is exponential skyrocketing.
3) Despite competent doctors and nurses working in hospitals, sometimes round the clock, no hope for the decrease in the infection rate is in the horizon. Lack of enough resources including, but not limited to, the following has exacerbated the situation:
Diagnostic kits
Surgical and N95 masks
Normal and Latex gloves
Gowns
Protector Goggles
Laboratory kits
Disinfectants for skin and surfaces
Mouthwashes
Alcohol
Artificial respirators and its features
Endo-tracheal and tracheotomy tubes
Artificial lung
Broad-spectrum antibiotics as needed by the Ministry of health
Antiviral drugs as needed by the Ministry of health
Nebulizer devices
Disposal drapes and sheets
Special cloths for adults
Different types of IV serums to a large extent
Arterial Blood Gas Monitors
Pulse oximeters of different types
Digital thermometer
Air filtration devices
4) The government and the ruling system in Iran, such as the Supreme Leader’s organization, a.k.a. “Beit”, have been reluctant to close the epicenter of the disease including the Masoomeh Holy Shrine in Qom (where the spread of the disease has been confirmed to have started from) and also Imam Reza Holy Shrine in Mashhad. They have also failed, so far, to declare a state of emergency and take the recommended measures such as enforcing quarantine in certain severely infected, and highly populated cities, such as Qom, Mashhad, Rasht (in Gilan Province) and a number of other cities.
5) According to the reports by Ta’zirat Organization (an organization overseeing prices and enforcing the Customer Protection Regulations), more than 35 tons of frozen chicken had been infected with the Corona virus, and distributed in Tehran before a part of which was confiscated by the said organization.
6) There is a pervasive distrust in the government and its corollary institutions among the people. It is being whispered by people that, in the coming months, there may be a vast uprising in case the status quo persists.
7) The foreseen pandemic in Iran is expected to continue to spill out of its borders and threaten both regional and world health safety and security. The Iranian government and the ruling system therein lack both the capacity and willingness to act effectively and rapidly. Every observer who has adequate information about the present health crisis in Iran and scrutinizes the Iranian government’s policies, or in fact lack thereof, believes that the international community will have to eventually intervene to address the present volatile situation in Iran which is becoming worse and worse by day.
Based on the above facts, we respectfully ask for the following measures to be taken by the international community:
- International aids including the above list of medical devices and equipment is needed to be dispatched to Iran and distributed under strict supervision to ensure that such aids are delivered to the right entities, and are not redirected to corrupt government-affiliated channels.
- The international community is cordially urged to use all available and necessary means to take immediate measures, even through the Security Council, to help contain the spread of the virus in Iran before this problem emerges as a grave threat to the safety and security of the regional and international community soon, due to the incompetent government in Iran.
Your kind consideration of this important issue is highly appreciated by the desperate Iranian people and us.
Best regards and respectfully\On behalf of ITC’s Executive Board
International Affairs
Dr. N. Barati-Novbar
March 09, 2020
