[Correspondence] COVID-19 cacophony: is there any orchestra conductor?
Antoine Flahault | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
The first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently invading the world, and several countries are now struggling to fight it or trying to delay its start to help smooth its peak size for the purpose of lowering morbidity and mortality, and thereby reduce the overall tension on their health-care system. China's first major outbreaks of COVID-19 happened in January, 2020. Then South Korea, Iran, and Italy entered into this Ravel's Bolero-like epidemic in late February and early March, 2020, and many other countries are preparing to play the same rhythmic pattern in the coming days and weeks.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30491-8/fulltext?rss=yes

[Editorial] COVID-19: learning from experience
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
Over the past 2 weeks, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has marched relentlessly westward. On March 13, WHO said that Europe was now the centre of the pandemic. A few days later, deaths in Italy surpassed those in China. Iran and Spain had also reported over 1000 deaths as of March 23, and many other European countries and the USA reported increasing numbers of cases, heralding an imminent wave of fatalities. Following the sweep of COVID-19 is a series of dramatic containment measures that reflect the scale of the threat posed by the pandemic.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30686-3/fulltext?rss=yes

[Editorial] Learning the lessons of Chernobyl: time is running out
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
Unit number 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded on April 26, 1986, causing radiation injuries to hundreds of people within a couple of weeks. High levels of radiation affected clean-up workers (liquidators) involved in the emergency response, more than 500‚Äà000 liquidators involved in later decontamination and containment, and the general population in the surrounding Soviet states. 116‚Äà000 people were evacuated, 220‚Äà000 were permanently relocated, and a 30 km exclusion zone still exists around the plant.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30687-5/fulltext?rss=yes

Webinar: Coronavirus: Time to End US Sanctions on Iran
Peace Action Massachusetts | indybay.org | 2020-03-27
Online webinar via ZOOM…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/25/18831820.php

Iran records 144 new Covid-19 deaths as military sets up emergency 2,000-bed hospital in Tehran
rt.com | 2020-03-27
Iran saw nearly 150 new fatalities from coronavirus, health officials disclosed on Friday. The country's military has deployed a makeshift hospital in Tehran as the Islamic Republic continues to battle the respiratory illness. | A health ministry official confirmed that Iran suffered 144 deaths from the previous day, pushing its death toll to 2,378. The Islamic Republic currently has 32,332 confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to a government tally. | The latest figures coincide with the creation of a makeshift hospital in the nation's capital. The Iranian military reportedly converted an exhibition center i…
rt.com/news/484265-iran-coronavirus-deaths-sanctions-hospital/

US Senators Request to Ease Sanctions Against Venezuela, Iran
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-27
U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy and 10 other lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin urging them to alleviate the sanctions that the U.S. keeps against Iran and Venezuela amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | The U.S. Harasses Venezuela Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic | "We are writing to express…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Senators-Request-to-Ease-Sanctions-Against-Venezuela-Iran-20200327-0002.html

Doctors, Not Bombs… "Educated in the Idea of Saving Lives"
Fidel Castro | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-27
Excerpts from Fidel's 2003 speech in Buenos Aires: | "Our country does not drop bombs on other peoples… our country does not possess nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, or biological weapons. Our country's tens of thousands of scientists and doctors have been …
globalresearch.ca/doctors-not-bombs-educated-in-the-idea-of-saving-lives/5707795

Over 124,000 patients recover from coronavirus worldwide
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-27
The number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 worldwide surpassed 124,300 on Friday, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.China has the highest number

US Sanctions 20 Iranian, Iraqi Entities Despite Virus Outbreak
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on Thursday that they had sanctioned 20 Iranian and Iraqi companies companies, officials, and business associates over their alleged support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. | "The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 20 Iran- and Iraq-based front companies, senior officials, and business associates that provide support to or act for or on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) in addition to transferring lethal aid to Iranian-backed…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Sanctions-20-Iranian-Iraqi-Entities-Despite-Virus-Outbreak-20200326-0007.html

8 Nations Address Letter to UN Chief Urging Sanctions Be Lifted
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
Venezuela has joined Wednesday China, Russia, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Cuba, and Nicaragua in their plea to United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urge the United States (U.S.) to remove its illegal economic sanctions on these countries amid the coronavirus global pandemic. | RELATED: | Iran: Campaign to Lift US Sanctions Gets Around 100K Signatures | "Today we have a common enemy. As you've already recognized, it's a time to prepare, to step up and incre…
telesurenglish.net/news/8-Nations-Address-Letter-to-UN-Chief-Urging-Sanctions-Be-Lifted–20200325-0024.html

US Forces Return Qayyara Air Base to Iraqi Control, Withdraw From Mosul Area
Sputnik News | iranian.com | 2020-03-26
US forces in Iraq began their withdrawal from a key northern airfield on Thursday, returning Qayyara Air Base to Iraqi control. With its two 11,000-foot runways capable of handling the largest American bombers and transports, Qayyara West Airfield, about 37 miles south of Mosul, played a key role in the fight against Daesh once it …
iranian.com/2020/03/26/us-forces-return-qayyara-air-base-to-iraqi-control-withdraw-from-mosul-area/

US Propaganda: Iran Rounding Up Whistleblowers Trying To Expose Real COVID-19 Death Toll
Zero Hedge | iranian.com | 2020-03-26
The State Department now seems to be leveling new accusations against Iran and China on a near-daily basis related to their role in facilitating the spread of the deadly coronavirus. On Monday Mike Pompeo issued '5 facts' detailing Iran's recklessness regarding the virus, including the charge Tehran spread it "to at least five countries," and on Wednesday …
iranian.com/2020/03/25/us-propaganda-iran-rounding-up-whistleblowers-trying-to-expose-real-covid-19-death-toll/

Iraq: France withdraws forces in anti-ISIS coalition
Anadolu Agency | iranian.com | 2020-03-26
France has withdrawn its troops from Iraq, deployed as part of a U.S.-led coalition against the Daesh/ISIS terror group, according to local Iraqi media. The French forces' departure came after agreements with Baghdad, Iraq's official news agency INA quoted Abdel-Karim Khalaf, a spokesman for Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, as saying. Khalaf did not …
iranian.com/2020/03/25/iraq-france-withdraws-forces-in-anti-isis-coalition/

Now Is the Time to Cancel Sanctions on Iran
Brian Cloughley | iranian.com | 2020-03-26
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has often declared that he considers himself to be a devout evangelical Christian, and in November 2019 told the New York Times Magazine that the Bible "informs everything I do." Given that his religious convictions are based on the Bible, he is doubtless familiar with the command from Philippians 2: 4 that everyone should "look not …
iranian.com/2020/03/25/now-is-the-time-to-cancel-sanctions-on-iran/

Coronavirus: What Newsweek Failed to Mention About "Continuity of Government"
Whitney Webb | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-25
Though often discussed in relation to nuclear war or a similarly chaotic scenario, "continuity of government" plans can be triggered even by popular, nonviolent opposition to an unpopular war abroad. It exists solely to keep the current system in place, …
globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-newsweek-failed-mention-continuity-government/5707521

Media Struggle to Defend Washington's Cruelty Toward Venezuela and Iran as Coronavirus Spreads
Joe Emersberger | fair.org | 2020-03-25
AP (New York Times, 3/17/20) accepts the IMF's excuse that lack of "clarity" over Venezuela's "rightful leader" prevents it from giving the country coronavirus aid–even though in 2002, the IMF rapidly offered aid to a short-lived coup government. | An Associated Press article (New York Times, 3/17/20) headlined "IMF Rejects Maduro's Bid for Emergency Loan to Fight Virus" declared: The r…
fair.org/home/media-struggle-to-defend-washingtons-cruelty-toward-venezuela-and-iran-as-coronavirus-spreads/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=media-struggle-to-defend-washingtons-cruelty-toward-venezuela-and-iran-as-coronavirus-spreads

Media Struggle to Defend Washington's Cruelty Toward Venezuela and Iran as Coronavirus Spreads
Joe Emersberger | fair.org | 2020-03-25
AP (New York Times, 3/17/20) accepts the IMF's excuse that lack of "clarity" over Venezuela's "rightful leader" prevents it from giving the country coronavirus aid–even though in 2002, the IMF rapidly offered aid to a short-lived coup government. | An Associated Press article (New York Times, 3/17/20) headlined "IMF Rejects Maduro's Bid for Emergency Loan to Fight Virus" declared: The r…
fair.org/home/media-struggle-to-defend-washingtons-cruelty-toward-venezuela-and-iran-as-coronavirus-spreads/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=media-struggle-to-defend-washingtons-cruelty-toward-venezuela-and-iran-as-coronavirus-spreads

Pentagon: 60-Day Freeze on Overseas US Forces Over COVID-19
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-25
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper issued an order to stop movements of overseas U.S. forces for up to 60 days to curb the spread of the coronavirus among military, according to media reports. | In a Wednesday interview with Reuters, the Pentagon chief said the order applied to all U.S. forces, civilian personnel, and families while noting that there would be some exceptions. | RELATED: | Iran: Campaign to Lift US Sanctions Gets Around 100K Signatures | Esper said that the U.
telesurenglish.net/news/Pentagon-60-Day-Freeze-on-Overseas-US-Forces-Over-COVID-19-20200325-0019.html

Deflection: Pompeo Issues '5 Facts' Claiming Iran Exported COVID-19 To "At Least 5 Countries"
Zero Hedge | iranian.com | 2020-03-25
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 …
iranian.com/2020/03/24/deflection-pompeo-issues-5-facts-claiming-iran-exported-covid-19-to-at-least-5-countries/

Nowruz: A season of renewal, and the time to get counted
Bitta Mostofi | iranian.com | 2020-03-25
Every spring, Iranians around the globe join with family and friends to invite the coming of a New Year or Nowruz. Nowruz is the first day of spring, historically rooted in Zoroastrianism but celebrated by Iranians of all religious persuasions as well as Afghans, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, and many others. The celebrations on and …
iranian.com/2020/03/25/nowruz-a-season-of-renewal-and-the-time-to-get-counted/

Business as Usual: Coronavirus, Iran and US Sanctions
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-24
Never discount the importance of venality in international relations. While pandemics should provide the glue for a unified front in response

Ease sanctions against countries fighting COVID-19: UN human rights chief
news.un.org | 2020-03-24
As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday called for an easing of sanctions against countries such as Iran to allow their medical systems to fight the disease and limit its global spread.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/03/1060092

UK, Europe & IMF Ramp Up Pressure For Trump To Ease Sanctions On Virus-Ravaged Iran
Zero Hedge | iranian.com | 2020-03-24
Reports and in some cases video began emerging last week of mass shipments of humanitarian supplies being halted and grounded by skittish EU countries worried about violating US-led sanctions on Iran. This as Iranian leaders have lashed out at Washington for ensuring a worsening coronavirus death toll through its "inhuman" sanctions. But the White House has also …
iranian.com/2020/03/23/uk-europe-imf-ramp-up-pressure-for-trump-to-ease-sanctions-on-virus-ravaged-iran/

President Rouhani: Hospital check-ins, deaths caused by coronavirus declining
IRNA | iranian.com | 2020-03-24
President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that the number of people hospitalized and deaths due to the coronavirus are decreasing in Iran, which show important measures have been taken. Speaking at the session of National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus, President Rouhani said only 1/3 of the state employees will be present at their offices …
iranian.com/2020/03/24/president-rouhani-hospital-check-ins-deaths-caused-by-coronavirus-declining/

Defectors Tell of Torture and Forced Sterilization in Militant Iranian Cult
The Intercept | iranian.com | 2020-03-24
Interviews with defectors, including several who held senior positions, offer the most detailed account to date of what life was like inside the MEK. Read the full story here.
iranian.com/2020/03/24/defectors-tell-of-torture-and-forced-sterilization-in-militant-iranian-cult/

Trump intensifies murderous Iran sanctions during COVID-19 crisis
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-23
As Iran struggles to contain COVID-19, the US has imposed new sanctions that further weaken the Iranian economy and health…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/23/trump-intensifies-murderous-iran-sanctions-during-covid-19-crisis/

The Charlatan and the Villager
Manouchehr Hosseinzadeh | iranian.com | 2020-03-23
The despicable Mr. Charlatan is known to all of us, he is the deceiving, conniving, scandalous, and cruel bully whose greed is limitless and his shame none. He is the man of all trades but skilled in nothing, claims to knowledge that he doesn't have, and witnesses to events that hasn't happened. He doesn't care …
iranian.com/2020/03/23/the-charlatan-and-the-villager/

Goes to show the level of hubris and profound BS of Western produced statistics
The Iranian | iranian.com | 2020-03-23
iranian.com/2020/03/22/goes-to-show-the-level-of-hubris-and-profound-bs-of-western-produced-statistics/

Punishing sanctions against Iran are turning the coronavirus pandemic into a massacre
Massoud Shadjareh | iranian.com | 2020-03-23
Coronavirus is a crisis. In Iran, it's a massacre – because of Trump's sanctions. Even before COVID-19, these sanctions were recognised by Human Rights Watch as undermining access to healthcare. The virus has taken lives globally but in Iran it has been particularly shocking, with hospital beds in parking lots and mass graves visible from space. Hundreds of lives have been …
iranian.com/2020/03/23/punishing-sanctions-against-iran-are-turning-the-coronavirus-pandemic-into-a-massacre/

As US Pulls Military Trainers from Iraq, will the Coronavirus Finally End America's Forever Wars?
Juan Cole | iranian.com | 2020-03-22
Will the coronavirus result in the second withdrawal of US troops from Iraq? There is an increasing question of whether the some 5,000 US military personnel there can be protected from the outbreak if they remain in that country. In any case, many of those servicemen are involved in training Iraqi troops, and the Baghdad …
iranian.com/2020/03/22/as-us-pulls-military-trainers-from-iraq-will-the-coronavirus-finally-end-americas-forever-wars/

Official: Upward Trend in Coronavirus Cases in Tehran Stops
Tasnim News | iranian.com | 2020-03-22
Governor of Tehran Province said the rising trend in the new cases of COVID-19 in the Iranian province has stopped. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Anushirvan Mohseni said the growing trend in the coronavirus cases in the province of Tehran has stopped. While the growth rate of new infections on March 19 stood at 7 …
iranian.com/2020/03/22/official-upward-trend-in-coronavirus-cases-in-tehran-stops/

Pakistan PM once again asks Trump to lift Iran sanctions
IRNA | iranian.com | 2020-03-22
Prime Minister of Pakistan who believes that US sanctions against Iran are cruel and unfair has once again called upon Donald Trump to lift economic sanctions from the Islamic Republic. Imran Khan in a tweet on Sunday said the people of Iran are facing untold suffering as sanctions are crippling Iran's efforts to fight COVID19. …
iranian.com/2020/03/22/pakistan-pm-once-again-asks-trump-to-lift-iran-sanctions/

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/

[Correspondence] COVID-19 battle during the toughest sanctions against Iran
Amirhossein Takian, Azam Raoofi, Sara Kazempour-Ardebili | thelancet.com | 2020-03-18
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly throughout the world. WHO declared the outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.1 In Iran, the first official announcement of deaths from COVID-19 was made on Feb 19, 2020. As of March 16, 2020, 14‚Äà991 people have been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and 853 people have died from COVID-19. 4996 people have recovered.2…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30668-1/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] Future of Chernobyl research: the urgency for consolidated action
Evgenia Ostroumova, Joachim Schàºz, Ausrele Kesminiene | thelancet.com | 2020-03-18
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986, continues to create fears and myths about its health consequences, as shown by the large response to a top-rated HBO miniseries devoted to the tragic event. Risk assessments range from recognising an increase in thyroid cancer incidence in exposed children and adolescents (becoming one of the single most established long-term health effects of the Chernobyl disaster on the general population), to claims of hundreds of thousands of deaths due to the accident.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30675-9/fulltext?rss=yes

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.