As even Britain is urging its close US ally to moderate its stance on Iran sanctions as the Mideast country’s death toll surges from the coronavirus pandemic, the Washington-Tehran tit-for-tat exchanges and blame game over Covid-19 continues unabated.
Yesterday Pompeo issued a new list of five allegations of how Iran’s leaders have handled the outbreak. Notably, this featured the fresh charge that Iran is responsible for recklessly spreading the deadly virus to five countries.
“In February, Iran’s chief terror airline, Mahan Air, ran at least 55 flights between Tehran and China, further infecting the Iranian people,” said Pompeo. “At least five foreign countries’ first cases of coronavirus were directly imported from Iran, putting millions more lives at risk.”
Pompeo’s newly released five “facts” were posted to US Embassy websites around the world, and further, accuse Iran of diverting vital funds from Covid-19 protection to instead supporting global terrorist.
Europe has largely stood by the Islamic Republic as it’s lashed out at US sanctions. On Monday a new announcement of millions in EU aid to help with coronavirus was issued by the EU: “We’ve not been able to provide a lot of humanitarian help but there is some 20 million euros in the pipeline… that we expect to be delivered over the next weeks,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
It appears the White House’s latest attempt to deflect growing criticism over its ‘maximum pressure’ campaign, which is exacerbating the outbreak in hard-hit Iran, is also centered around the charge that the regime allegedly “stole” billions of dollars meant for humanitarian assistance to the Iranian people. However, little to no proof has been offered for such claims.
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Here are Pompeo’s 5 facts posted to State Department websites this week regarding what he dubs “the Wuhan virus” and Iran’s alleged role in spreading it:
Fact: In February, Iran’s chief terror airline, Mahan Air, ran at least 55 flights between Tehran and China, further infecting the Iranian people. At least five foreign countries’ first cases of coronavirus were directly imported from Iran, putting millions more lives at risk.
Fact: The Iranian regime ignored repeated warnings from its own health officials, and denied its first death from the coronavirus for at least nine days. The regime continues to lie to the Iranian people and the world about the number of cases and deaths, which are unfortunately far higher than the regime admits.
Khamenei’s Lies About the Wuhan Virus Put Lives at Risk – United States Department of State https://t.co/fSCtNBHk4n
— Lisa Daftari (@LisaDaftari) March 23, 2020
Fact: As Iranian regime officials ask for more funds, it is important to note that since 2012, Iran has spent over $16 billion on terror abroad, and used sanctions relief from the JCPOA to fill up its proxies’ coffers. Regime officials stole over a billion Euros intended for medical supplies, and continue to hoard desperately needed masks, gloves, and other medical equipment for sale on the black market.
Fact: U.S. sanctions do not target imports of food, medicine and medical equipment, or other humanitarian goods. Iranian documents show their health companies have been able to import testing kits without obstacle from U.S. sanctions since January.
Fact: The United States has offered over $100 million in medical assistance to foreign countries, including to the Iranian people, and our scientists are working tirelessly to develop a vaccine. Khamenei rejected this offer because he works tirelessly to concoct conspiracy theories and prioritizes ideology over the Iranian people.
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update for:
Go Fund Me page to Help Iranians Fight Coronavirus
Total raised as of today: $5,470
Total Number of people who have donated as of today: 73
Many have donated money as anonymous but also with Iranian, American, Asian and Hispanic names. Thank you.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/negar039s-campaign-for-relief-international
Fraud alert. Relief International has never been mentioned by Iran’s ministries or newspapers and Iraj will not authenticate the proof.
Only God or one of his Son can pull the plug on Iran. Dad loves them. He Loves that they alone are all Fired Up about Him. My Brother, Jesus, does not care either way about The People. He claims the lands as his own. I Love Fire. I, too, Love Iran. God’s last approved re-rest of Humanity 9200 years ago. Zoroaster, you rascal, where are you?
Detection proves Iran and China had the testing kits ready.
Latent detection proves America was the least prepared of the three.
Pompeo is so pathetic he graduated at the top of West Point only to become a cockroach opportunist no higher or lower than a Nikki Haley or Rudy Giuliani, both utter pieces of garbage unworthy of respect.
When I look at this guy’s face it reminds me of the Mongol invasion of Iran. The invaders would attack and kill everyone in a village including the dogs and cats. He is attempting to do the same thing by the ever increasing sanctions on the sick and the dying in Iran.
So what could one do to help?
Yesterday a ‘Go Find Me’ page was created for sending donation to a humanitarian organization that has been helping Iranians called Relief International.
This is a good start to do something positive rather than expressing anger and despair. Here is link. Donate as much or as little as you could. It’s a starting point.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/negar039s-campaign-for-relief-international
Do you have any evidence that the Iranian government confirmed that Relief International is not a scam?
Iranian sources only please (from the government). If not, stop promoting a “regime change” slosh fund disguised as something else, NIAC K Street critter.
I outed you several times but you don’t give up hence I continue exposing you as someone who is pretending to be an extreme supporter of Khamenei but you are not. You are here to create discord among us. Pretending to be a Jewish lawyer. It’s just laughable.
– Stop posing as someone who cares about Iranians.
– Stop planting doubt about individuals and organizations that are trying to help Iranians who are sick due to coronavirus.
– Tell your handlers that your mission here with this user name (Nik whatever) hasn’t accomplish anything because we are much smarter and wiser than what you had assumed.
As the saying goes in Persian: khar khodeti
First, where is your proof as requested that your Relief International isn’t a fraud and scam intended to steal Iranian diaspora money to use against Iranians? We’d like to see some proof that Iran’s government is even receiving these funds. You’re the charlatan, not me. Instead of proof, you distract with this clownish rhetoric.
Second, I’m laughing at your first paragraph. What drugs are you on? Go ahead and try to disprove or prove anything you have stated incorrectly because you were fed false data, you are a nobody and just an irrelevant NIAC lobby critter who we mock.
Vagh vagh vagh, as we Iranians and not Thomas Pickering/Kissinger cockroaches who learned one phrase of “khar khodeti” and repeat it like it’s gold, say. 🙂
As well/bad as Iranians have handled this shock, the situation would be way much worse if Pompeo’s regime change plan had gone according to his plans and he (Pompeo) had manged to push Iran into chaos and mayhem.
The situation would be way much worse not only for Iran and its neighbors but also for American soldiers and workers all around Iran if Pompeo had succeeded to create more chaos in the region. Pompeo very well knows this fact but he can not get over his regime change tantrum.