TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader warned on Saturday that the country’s economic problems would worsen if the coronavirus spreads unchecked, saying the initial momentum to contain it had since “waned.”
The Islamic republic has struggled to curb the COVID-19 outbreak since it reported its first cases in the Shiite holy city of Qom in February.
It shut down non-essential businesses, closed schools and canceled public events in March, but the government gradually lifted restrictions from April to try to reopen the country’s sanctions-hit economy.
“It is correct to say that something must be done to prevent economic problems caused by the coronavirus,” said Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“But in the case of negligence and significant spread of the disease, economic problems will increase, too,” he said in a meeting with judiciary officials, according to his official website.
The Iranian rial has plunged to new lows against the US dollar in recent days due to the temporary economy shutdown, border closures and halt in non-oil exports, according to analysts.
Iran’s economic problems have worsened since 2018, when President Donald Trump withdrew the US from a landmark nuclear agreement and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic republic, targeting vital oil sales and banking ties.
Iran’s health ministry spokeswoman said there had been 2,456 new cases of COVID-19 infection in the past 24 hours, raising the country’s caseload to 220,180.
Sima Sadat Lari added in televised remarks that 125 of those infected had died during the same period, with overall fatalities reaching 10,364.
“The sacrifice of health workers, efforts by volunteer groups and overall cooperation by the people made Iran one of the world’s successful countries” in controlling the outbreak, Khamenei said.
“But that was early in the (outbreak), and now unfortunately that momentum and effort has waned among some of the people and authorities,” he added.
Official figures have shown a rising trajectory in new confirmed cases since early May, when Iran hit a near two-month low in daily recorded infections.
Iran has refrained from imposing a mandatory lockdown on people to stop the virus’ spread, but has called for mask-wearing to be made compulsory.
Iran’s supreme leader warns economy will worsen if coronavirus spreads
https://arab.news/jgqvs
Iran’s supreme leader warns economy will worsen if coronavirus spreads
- Iran has struggled to curb the COVID-19 outbreak since it reported its first in February
- Country’s total coronavirus caseload is now at 220,180
Elderly Palestinian shot dead in Rafah
- Death toll from Israel’s aggression on Gaza rises to 71,795 since start of assault in October 2023
GAZA: An elderly Palestinian man was killed by Israeli fire in Rafah on Sunday afternoon, bringing the number of fatalities since morning to two, according to local and medical sources.
The sources reported that Khaled Hammad Dahleez, 63, was shot dead by an Israeli drone northwest of Rafah.
Earlier in the day, another man was killed and several others injured in a drone strike north of Wadi Gaza, in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian News Agency reported.
BACKGROUND
On Saturday, at least 31 Palestinians, including children and women, were slaughtered in a series of Israeli airstrikes on several locations across the enclave — one of the deadliest days since the start of the ceasefire agreement on Oct. 11, 2025.
On Saturday, at least 31 Palestinians, including children and women, were slaughtered in a series of Israeli airstrikes on several locations across the war-ravaged enclave — one of the deadliest days since the start of the ceasefire agreement on Oct. 11, 2025.
Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 11, the number of people killed has risen to 523, with 1,433 injuries recorded, while 715 bodies have been recovered during the same period.
Medical sources said on Sunday the death toll from Israel’s aggression on the Gaza Strip had risen to 71,795 Palestinians killed and 171,551 injured since the start of the assault in October 2023.
The sources reported that 26 fatalities and 68 injuries were brought to Gaza hospitals over the past 48 hours, noting that numerous victims were trapped under rubble or in the streets, with ambulance and rescue crews unable to reach them.
The ceasefire’s first phase called for the exchange of all hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel, a surge in humanitarian aid and a partial pullback of Israeli troops.
The second phase is more complicated. It calls for installing a new Palestinian committee to govern Gaza, deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, and taking steps to begin rebuilding.
Hamas has so far rejected disarmament and Israel has repeatedly indicated that if the Islamist militant group is not disarmed peacefully, it will use force to make it do so.
