Iran: Supreme Leader's Top Advisor Dies of Coronavirus - Other Key Officials Infected
Adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died from COVID-19
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A top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died from coronavirus, the Iranian regime has confirmed, as other key officials are also infected with the deadly COVID-19.
On Monday, the Iranian Health Ministry recorded 523 new cases coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the known total to 1,501 in the country.
The number is a staggering 53 percent increase since Sunday.
71-year-old Mohammad Mirmohammadi was an Expediency Council member who advised Khamenei and settled disputes between him and parliament.
Iran's vice president and deputy health minister have also already been infected by COVID-19.
Mirmohammadi's death comes after the country rejected help from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday.
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Pompeo announced last week the U.S. was concerned Iran may have covered up details on the spread of the virus, according to Fox News.
"We neither count on such help nor are we ready to accept verbal help," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said during a briefing on Monday.
He added the country has always been "suspicious" over American intentions, and that the U.S. government was trying to weaken Iranians' spirits over the outbreak.
Iran's mortality rate from the virus is roughly 5.5 percent, compared to an overall fatality rate of about 2 percent in China.
The difference in rates has led people to suggest the number of infections in Iran is higher than what the country has officially reported.
The country's first case was reported less than two weeks ago.
The virus has killed at least 66 people in Iran, the highest death toll outside of China.
The majority of 1,150 cases throughout the Middle East are linked back to the country.
Iran was preparing the possibility of testing "tens of thousands" of people following a spike of cases on Saturday.
The country has closed schools and universities due to COVID-19, but religious Shiite shrines have remained open.
Last week, Iranians were captured licking some of the shrines in defiance of the coronavirus.
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Most countries in the Middle East have limited or ceased travel to the country.
It has the 4th highest infected total outside of China, South Korea, and Italy.
India on Monday announced two positive cases of COVID-19, according to the country's Ministry of Health.
One person was found to be infected in New Delhi and had a travel history from Italy.
The other was from the southern state of Telangana and had a travel history from Dubai.
Both patients are being closely monitored, the department said.
"Depending on the global evolving scenario, travel restrictions could be imposed as a precautionary measure," said Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.
Intelligence agencies had concerns over India's lack of countermeasures to the virus and said its dense population could fuel a widespread outbreak, according to Reuters.
