Pompeo and Netanyahu paved a path to war with Iran, and they're pushing Trump again
Gareth Porter | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-20
Though it narrowly averted war with Iran this January, the Trump administration is still pushing for all-out military conflict. The…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/20/pompeo-netanyahu-war-iran-trump/

Expert: US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during pandemic could be genocidal
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-20
Intensified US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during the COVID-19 pandemic could amount to genocide, a former UN expert warns. Iran…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/20/expert-us-sanctions-on-iran-venezuela-during-pandemic-could-be-genocidal/

U.S. sanctions on Iran are making its coronavirus crisis worse
Michael Arria | zcomm.org | 2020-03-20
Ilhan Omar is calling for them to be suspended…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/u-s-sanctions-on-iran-are-making-its-coronavirus-crisis-worse/

[Comment] Corticosteroids in acute respiratory distress syndrome: a step forward, but more evidence is needed
Kiran Reddy, Cecilia O'Kane, Daniel McAuley | thelancet.com | 2020-03-20
Debate continues about the potential role of corticosteroids as therapy for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).1–3 In The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Jesús Villar and colleagues4 report the results from a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial investigating prolonged dexamethasone treatment in patients with established moderate-to-severe ARDS, which adds important new data to this debate. In this study, patients in the dexamethasone group had reduced duration of ventilation and mortality compared with those in the control group;4 the primary outcome, ventilator-free days at 28 days, w…
thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30048-5/fulltext?rss=yes

Iran's IMF Request Shows Just How Desperate Tehran has Become
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-20
The combination of crippling American sanctions, the compliance with the aforesaid by the US' "comprehensive global strategic partner" India (formerly one of Tehran's top energy partners) out of fear of so-called "secondary sanctions", the uncontrollable outbreak of COVID-19 in the …
globalresearch.ca/iran-imf-request-shows-desperate/5706926

Stop Tightening the Thumb Screws against Iran. A Humanitarian Message
Kathy Kelly | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-20
U.S. sanctions against Iran, cruelly strengthened in March of 2018, continue a collective punishment of extremely vulnerable people. Presently, the U.S. "maximum pressure" policy severely undermines Iranian efforts to cope with the ravages of COVID-19, causing hardship and tragedy while …
globalresearch.ca/stop-tightening-thumb-screws-humanitarian-message/5706832

Pakistan's PM Khan calls for lifting of Iran sanctions amid global virus crisis
rt.com | 2020-03-20
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan called on Friday for the lifting of US-led sanctions on neighboring Iran, so Tehran can better deal with its novel coronavirus crisis. The comments came after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wrote to Khan, asking for help in dealing with the novel coronavirus outbreak that has now killed at least 1,433 people in the Islamic republic, AFP reported. | "I would stress and insist to the international community to lift the sanctions on Iran," Khan told reporters. "It is very unjust they are dealing with such a large outbreak on one side, and on the other they are facing interna…
rt.com/newsline/483656-pakistan-khan-iran-sanctions/

Stanford Professor Michael McFaul dunks on Khamenei… by puzzling over why Iran doesn't use Gregorian calendar
rt.com | 2020-03-20
Ex-ambassador Michael McFaul has taken to Twitter to express astonishment over the start of the Iranian New Year, leading to speculation that he might not know that there are non-Gregorian calendars out there. | The former US envoy to Russia and current Stanford academic found it fitting to mock Iran's supreme leader for commenting on the start of the Iranian (or Persian) New Year, Nowruz. In his tweet, Ali Khamenei had congratulated his country for becoming more self-reliant in the face of US sanctions, but urged for further production boosts in 1399 to help the Islamic Republic recover from Washington's econ…
rt.com/news/483574-mcfaul-iran-new-year-calendar/

[Comment] How will country-based mitigation measures influence the course of the COVID-19 epidemic?
Roy M Anderson, Hans Heesterbeek, Don Klinkenberg, T Déirdre Hollingsworth | thelancet.com | 2020-03-20
Governments will not be able to minimise both deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the economic impact of viral spread. Keeping mortality as low as possible will be the highest priority for individuals; hence governments must put in place measures to ameliorate the inevitable economic downturn. In our view, COVID-19 has developed into a pandemic, with small chains of transmission in many countries and large chains resulting in extensive spread in a few countries, such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, and Japan.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30567-5/fulltext?rss=yes

US imperialism exploits coronavirus as a weapon of war
wsws.org | 2020-03-20
The maintenance and tightening of punishing economic sanctions against Iran as it confronts one of the world's worst outbreaks of the coronavirus constitutes a US war crime.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/20/pers-m20.html

Iran Willing to Help Fight Coronavirus in the United States
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-20
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani Friday stated his willingness to support the United States with medical personnel in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Iran Temporarily Frees 85,000 Inmates As Pandemic Worsens | "These are times of brotherhood. The best way to overcome the new coronavirus is through unity," Rouhani said. | "While other nations are bent on endangering the lives of their citizens, Iran is ready to focus its efforts on ending the pandemic," he added…
telesurenglish.net/news/iran-willing-to-help-fight-coronavirus-in-the-us-20200320-0011.html

'Utter contempt for human life': Iranian FM Zarif slams US for hitting Tehran with new sanctions amid Covid-19 crisis
rt.com | 2020-03-20
Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif accused the US of taking its policy of "maximum pressure" on Tehran to a "new level of inhumanity" by imposing new sanctions on Iran as it struggles to cope with a huge surge of Covid-19 cases. | …
rt.com/news/483671-iran-zarif-us-sanctions/

WorkWeek On SF Housing With Dean Preston, ILWU Port Safety & UCSF AFSCME Cancer Cluster
WorkWeek | indybay.org | 2020-03-20
WorkWeek interviews SF Supervisor Dean Preston about the housing crisis and the fight against evictions. Next WorkWeek hears about UAW auto worker wildcats over the failure to protect the health and safety of auto workers. We interview UAW 551 Chicago Ford worker Scott Houldierson. | Next WorkWeek hears about the conditions of Bay Area Longshore workers who are members of ILWU Local 10 with Trent Willis, president of the Local. | Last, WorkWeek interviews Stella Miranda, the wife of a UCSF AFSCME 3299 worker whose worksite was on radioactive contaminated land at the Hunters Point shipyard. | She talks about what…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/19/18831678.php

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
wsws.org | 2020-03-20
Workers in Iran and Italy, two countries heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, have staged job action over work exposure to the disease, while South African transport workers have issued a strike threat over failed contract talks.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/20/work-m20.html

[Comment] Planning for the next pandemic: a call for new guidance
Joe Brierley, Stephen Playfor, Samiran Ray | thelancet.com | 2020-03-20
"Everything flows and nothing abides, everything gives way and nothing stays fixed"Heraclitus…
thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(19)30357-1/fulltext?rss=yes

International Atomic Energy Agency exposed to Covid-19 as staff member tests positive
rt.com | 2020-03-20
A case of the novel coronavirus has been identified in a staff member at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the United Nations has said. | The IAEA implemented measures last week allowing personnel at the Vienna center to work remotely from March 16 in line with guidance from Austrian authorities. | The IAEA said earlier this month it would provide diagnostic kits, equipment and training in nuclear-derived detection techniques to countries in need of assistance as the virus spreads rapidly around the world. | There are currently more than 240,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide and…
rt.com/news/483653-iaea-staff-member-coronavirus/

Iran marks somber Nowruz amid coronavirus
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-20
Iran's top leadership on Friday said the country will overcome the coronavirus pandemic through unity

US sanctions impede Iran's fight against coronavirus
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-20
The eerie silence in the deserted streets of Tehran is in sharp contrast to the palpable buzz in hospitals these days with the novel coronavirus pandemic assuming alarming proportions and cases mounting.The total number of confirmed cases has reached 18,407 with the death toll climbing to 1,284. According to the Health Ministry, around 50 new cases and six deaths are reported every hour across the country.While new cases have seen an inconsistent increase, the fatalities are surging steadily and alarmingly. Thursday's death toll of 149 is the highest single-day coronavirus death toll in Iran.The epicenter of the…
yenisafak.com/en/world/us-sanctions-impede-irans-fight-against-coronavirus-3514477

Happy Nowruz! نوروزتان مبارک
The Iranian | iranian.com | 2020-03-20
iranian.com/2020/03/20/happy-nowruz-%d9%86%d9%88%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b2%d8%aa%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%da%a9/

Brazil: Sao Paulo Police Capture Nearly Half of Escaped Inmates
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
Brazilian Police captured more than 500 of the 1400 inmates who escaped from Sao Paulo's penitentiary institutions. | RELATED: | Protests Against the "Bolsonaro Virus" Spread in Brazil | The massive escape occurred on March 16 in three prisons located in Managua, Mirandopolis, and Taubate. The inmates started fires, riots, and took guards as hostages after authorities announced several departures and visiting restrictions as a measure to prevent Covid-19 spreading in Brazilian territo…
telesurenglish.net/news/brazil-sao-paulo-police-capture-nearly-half-of-escaped-inmates-20200319-0011.html

Economists Demand Trump Immediately Lift Iran, Cuba, Venezuela Sanctions
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-19
A group of economists and policy experts on Wednesday called on President Donald Trump to immediately lift the United States' crippling sanctions against Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and other countries, warning that the economic warfare

17 Years Later: The Consequences of Invading Iraq
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-03-19
While the world is consumed with the terrifying coronavirus pandemic, on March 19 the Trump administration will be marking the 17th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq by ramping up the conflict there. After an Iran-aligned militia allegedly struck a U.S. base near Baghdad on March 11, the U.S. military carried out retaliatory strikes against five …
truthdig.com/articles/17-years-later-the-consequences-of-invading-iraq/

Iranian Doctors Urge Neighbours to Liquidate Any US Biological Labs Amid Coronavirus Fears
Sputnik News | iranian.com | 2020-03-19
With over 17,300 cases and 1,135 deaths to date, Iran has been one of the countries hit hardest by COVID-19, with the virus affecting not only the population at large, but a big portion of the political elite as well. Last week, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said there was evidence that the pandemic may have …
iranian.com/2020/03/19/iranian-doctors-urge-neighbours-to-liquidate-any-us-biological-labs-amid-coronavirus-fears/

China, France send anti-Coronavirus aid to Iran
IRNA | iranian.com | 2020-03-19
Beijing Municipality sent 30 tons of medical and healthcare items to Iran in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The donation has been sent to the capital city of Tehran by 11 trucks. Thanking China for the measure, Tehran Mayor Pirouz Hanachi called for mutual cooperation in various areas. France sends medical aid …
iranian.com/2020/03/19/china-france-send-anti-coronavirus-aid-to-iran/

Vulnerable Vets: Coronavirus Threatens Iran's Chemical-Weapons Victims
Golnaz Esfandiari | iranian.com | 2020-03-19
As the deadly coronavirus continues to bedevil Iran, there is growing concern about the danger it poses to tens of thousands of victims of chemical weapons who suffer from respiratory problems and lung diseases. An estimated 100,000 Iranians survived chemical-weapons attacks by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, and many are disabled …
iranian.com/2020/03/18/vulnerable-vets-coronavirus-threatens-irans-chemical-weapons-victims/

12 Ways the U.S. Invasion of Iraq Lives On in Infamy
Medea Benjamin | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-18
While the world is consumed with the terrifying coronavirus pandemic, on March 19 the Trump administration will be marking the 17th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq by ramping up the conflict there. After an Iran-aligned militia allegedly struck …
globalresearch.ca/12-ways-u-s-invasion-iraq-lives-infamy/5706696

Stop Tightening the Thumb Screws: A Humanitarian Message
Kathy Kelly | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-18
Protester's sign decries sanctions, "a silent war" (Photo Credit: Campaign for Peace and Democracy, 2013) U.S. sanctions against Iran, cruelly strengthened in March of 2018, continue a collective punishment of extremely vulnerable people. Presently, the U.S. "maximum pressure" policy severely undermines Iranian efforts to cope with the ravages of COVID-19, causing hardship and tragedy while …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/stop-tightening-the-thumb-screws-a-humanitarian-message/

Escapism or China-bashing? US now left without harsh coronavirus options, but with broken healthcare & federal disarray
rt.com | 2020-03-18
Washington's attempts to tackle Covid-19 appear to be bleak

12 Ways the U.S. Invasion of Iraq Lives on in Infamy
MBNJSD | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-18
While the world is consumed with the terrifying coronavirus pandemic, on March 19 the Trump administration will be marking the 17th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq by ramping up the conflict there. After an Iran-aligned militia allegedly struck a U.S. base near Baghdad on March 11, the U.S. military carried out retaliatory strikes …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/12-ways-the-u-s-invasion-of-iraq-lives-on-in-infamy/

Iran reports spike in deaths
The Iranian | iranian.com | 2020-03-18
Iran reported 147 more deaths from the coronavirus, its single biggest jump. The 15 percent spike raised the death toll to 1,135 people nationwide. The rise in deaths comes as the number of infections continues to grow each day, with some 17,361 people infected, according to Iran's deputy health minister, Alireza Raisi.
iranian.com/2020/03/18/iran-reports-spike-in-deaths/

US Imposes New Iran Sanctions, Complicating Coronavirus
Jason Ditz | iranian.com | 2020-03-18
Last week, Iranian officials emphasized that US sanctions are making their reaction to the coronavirus outbreak much more difficult, leading to both Iran and China to urge the US to put those sanctions on hold for humanitarian reason. Not going after Iran for humanitarian reasons, needless to say, isn't a policy that the administration considers, …
iranian.com/2020/03/17/us-imposes-new-iran-sanctions-complicating-coronavirus/

Khamenei finally grasps severity of Coronavirus: Issues fatwa banning 'unnecessary travel'
RT | iranian.com | 2020-03-17
The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has made a religious ruling that prohibits "unnecessary travel" in the country in a bid to stop the spread of Covid-19. Iran's death toll from the outbreak is nearing 1,000. The fatwa urges citizens to respect the orders of the health authorities and to refrain from traveling …
iranian.com/2020/03/17/khamenei-coronavirus-fatwa-travel/

Iran calls on Europe to defy US sanctions amid COVID-19 outbreak
Press TV | iranian.com | 2020-03-17
Iran's foreign minister has called on London and the European Union to defy Washington's anti-Iran sanctions amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. In a Monday phone conversation with his British counterpart Dominic Raab, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denounced the US' illegal and unilateral sanctions against Iran as an obstacle to the battle …
iranian.com/2020/03/17/iran-calls-on-europe-to-defy-us-sanctions-amid-covid-19-outbreak/

How can the US support Iran's response to the coronavirus and bolster diplomacy?
Mark Fitzpatrick | iranian.com | 2020-03-17
As Tehran is scrambling to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus in Iran, Mark Fitzpatrick explains why the United States should facilitate the humanitarian assistance Iran needs to address its current public health crisis. The United States' policy toward Iran is stuck in a rut. Government officials know well that the maximum pressure campaign …
iranian.com/2020/03/16/how-can-the-us-support-irans-response-to-the-coronavirus-and-bolster-diplomacy/

Iranian Hails New UK Stance on Arrested Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe & Repayment Of Debt
Sputnik News | iranian.com | 2020-03-16
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who possesses both British and Iranian passports, has been under arrest in Iran since April 2016 over allegations that she plotted against the government, claims that she has consistently denied. She was sentenced to five years in an Iranian jail. The Iranian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hamid Baeidinejad, welcomed a new approach …
iranian.com/2020/03/16/iranian-hails-new-uk-stance-on-arrested-nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-repayment-of-debt/

China Calls US Sanctions against Iran 'Immoral' amid Virus Epidemic
Tasnim News | iranian.com | 2020-03-16
China on Monday called on the US to remove its sanctions against Iran, saying that the embargoes will hamper the country's response to the coronavirus outbreak. The unilateral US sanctions will further hamper Iran's efforts in combating the virus while it's already struggling to cope with the crisis, Geng Shuang, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry …
iranian.com/2020/03/16/china-calls-us-sanctions-against-iran-immoral-amid-virus-epidemic/

Iran may impose partial lockdown to contain coronavirus and will provide cash handouts, loans
Press TV | iranian.com | 2020-03-15
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has given his initial approval for imposing a partial lockdown on areas in nearly a dozen provinces in the country to help curb a coronavirus outbreak that has affected thousands of people. Rouhani described as "good" a proposal by Health Minister Saeed Namaki to implement a "movement control scheme" in 11 …
iranian.com/2020/03/14/iran-may-impose-partial-lockdown-to-contain-coronavirus-and-will-provide-cash-handouts-loans/

Latest U.S. Military Strikes Are as Reckless as they are Cruel
Lilly Dragnev | peaceaction.org | 2020-03-13
Washington, D.C.

Congress Sends Bipartisan Bill to Trump Rebuking Iran War
Paul Kawika Martin | peaceaction.org | 2020-03-11
Washington, D.C.