(2020-02-28). Doctors Without Borders: Cheap Coronavirus Diagnostic Kits Needed in War-Torn Areas & Refugee Camps. democracynow.org 
Across the U.S., officials report a severe shortage of test kits for coronavirus. New York officials say they're preparing their own kits, after kits distributed by the Centers for Disease Control failed validation tests. Meanwhile, new cases of coronavirus continue to spring up worldwide, with Nigeria reporting its first case and one of Iran's vice presidents testing positive. We discuss how MSF USA, or Doctors Without Borders USA, is responding to coronavirus, with the organization's executive director, Avril BenoàÆt.
(2020-02-28). Iran coronavirus death toll rises to 34 as number of infected hits 388 — Health Ministry. rt.com 
Some 34 people have died so far in Iran due to coronavirus infections, a Health Ministry spokesman said on Friday. The total number of people diagnosed with the disease is 388, he said in an announcement broadcast by state TV. | The death toll in Iran is by far the highest number outside China. The total number of infected people on Thursday stood at 245, including several senior officials. | The outbreak prompted authorities to call off Friday prayers in the capitals of 23 of Iran's 31 provinces, including Tehran and the Shiite Muslim holy cities of Qom and Mashhad as well as some other infected areas, Reuter…
(2020-02-28). Iran ready to help reduce tensions in Idlib — Foreign Ministry. rt.com 
Tehran reacted on Friday to the escalation of conflict in northwestern Syria, saying it is ready to take every measure to help reduce tensions. "We are carefully monitoring the field developments and regional outcomes of the developments in Idlib, and we will continue our efforts to end the current tensions," the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. | The statement stressed the need for the sides to properly manage the situation so as to ease the tensions over the Syrian province as soon as possible. | Tehran said it was also working to convene Russia-Turkey-Iran summit in light of the tensions in Idlib. I…
(2020-02-28). US sees 'significant reduction' in Afghan violence, prepares to sign historic deal with Taliban. rt.com 
The US has seen a significant reduction in violence in Afghanistan during the past six days, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday. The statement comes the day before Washington hopes to sign an American troops withdrawal deal with the Taliban. | "We have seen just these last six days a significant reduction in violence in Afghanistan," Pompeo told lawmakers in Washington. | "We are watching closely to see if the Islamic Republic of Iran begins to take even more active measures… that undermine our efforts at peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan," he said. | Pompeo's remark suggested that if the dr…
(2020-02-28). 'Not noble to cheer human suffering': Tehran shreds US offer of 'help' with coronavirus as Pompeo vows to 'sustain' sanctions. rt.com 
Washington's offer to assist Tehran with its COVID-19 outbreak is pure hypocrisy, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, condemning the top US diplomat after he promised to keep up crippling sanctions on Iran while vowing to send aid. | While US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told lawmakers on Friday that the administration had extended an offer to help Tehran beat back the lethal virus, he couldn't help but take jabs at "the regime," insisting Washington would "sustain [its] pressure" through a devastating sanctions campaign — at one point going as far as to say that Iranians were "thankful" to suffer under…
(2020-02-28). The Space Force Becomes a Weapons System, Arms Companies Profit. counterpunch.org 
As the world gets used to what the US military calls "Full Spectrum Dominance," the complex uplinks/downlinks, spurious RADAR returns, cyber glitches, and misinterpretations of big data bring the world closer to its ends, especially as US systems—including possibly nuclear—are orbited or put into the loop of the new Space Force. But the news isn't
(2020-02-28). 'Aggressive designs': Pakistan blasts India's $3bn arms deal with Washington for 'destabilizing already volatile region'. rt.com 
Islamabad has voiced concern over a recent multi-billion dollar weapons deal signed between Washington and New Delhi, insisting its nuclear-armed rival is upsetting stability in southern Asia. | On the heels of the $3 billion exchange inked last week — which will see India purchase 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from US arms giant Lockheed Martin — Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said the move was alarming and revealed New Delhi's hostile intent toward Islamabad. | "Pakistan has concerns regarding defence deals with India, particularly the sale of sophisticated weapon systems to…
(2020-02-28). US Military Building Presence in Saudi Arabia for First Time in 17 Years. mintpressnews.com Amid rising tensions with Iran, the United States is increasing its military presence in Saudi Arabia- separated from the Islamic Republic by only the Persian Gulf. Some 2,500 troops have arrived at their new home, the Prince Sultan Air Base, some 60 km southeast of Riyadh. On Iran, General John Walker, commander of the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing at the base, said: "We face a thinking enemy that is playing a real regional conflict for keeps, and they're very good." | While the U.S. government has not given any indication of how long it expects its forces to be there, temporary structures are being replaced with…
(2020-02-28). Turkey bombs Syria after losing dozens of troops to Syrian-Russian airstrike. wsws.org The danger is growing that all-out war could erupt between the NATO alliance and the Syrian government's major international backers, Iran and Russia.
(2020-02-28). Pandemics, Politics, and Peace — Episode 11. iranian.com Episode Description: This week, Reza breaks down Trump's dangerous response to the Corona Virus, why it's bananas for the DC establishment to criticize Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren's call to drawdown US troops in the Middle East, and how Iran nuclear deal opponents have boxed themselves in. Sune Engel Rasmussen, Correspondent for The Wall Street …
(2020-02-28). Turkey, Russia tiptoe toward 'unnecessary war'. iranian.com A military confrontation between Turkey and Syria has erupted in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. Latest reports say that at least 34 Turkish soldiers were killed on Thursday in a Syrian air attack. A Turkish retaliation commenced last night itself. The Syrian airstrike in Idlib took place in an area between the towns Baluon and …
(2020-02-28). Prominent Iranian physician clears up misconceptions about outbreak & impact of sanctions. iranian.com Prominent Iranian physician & member of the Health Ministry Minoo Mohraz has for her part defended the health ministry's data but has also said the number of people infected has been underreported because sanctions had blocked access to diagnostic kits: twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233409214002999296 twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233409467125059584 twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233409591616118786 twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233409679872663562 twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233409919447117824 twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233410030164226049 twitter.co…
(2020-02-28). Selected Articles: Assad's Victory in Syria War? globalresearch.ca 
A future without independent media leaves us with an upside down reality where according to the corporate media "NATO deserves a Nobel Peace Prize", and where "nuclear weapons and wars make us safer" | | | If, like us, this is a …
(2020-02-28). "I Don't Think That You are Telling Us the Truth": House Democrats Grill Pompeo on Iran and Coronavirus. commondreams.org "You can't hide behind classification on this one because you can't classify something that doesn't exist." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1203951459.jpg …
(2020-02-27). Iran's VP for women and family affairs is latest official to test positive for coronavirus. rt.com 
Iranian's vice president for women and family affairs, Masoumeh Ebtekar, has contracted the coronavirus. Three high-ranking officials, including Iran's deputy health minister, were already known to be infected. | "Ms. Ebtekar showed signs of infection with coronavirus and was tested. The results came back positive," IRNA quoted a spokesperson for the vice president as saying. | Earlier in the day, the head of the parliamentary security and foreign relations commission Mojtaba Zonnour said he had also tested positive for the virus. | Iran is enduring a large coronavirus outbreak; 26 people have died from the di…
(2020-02-27). It's just business: US & Britain buying more and more oil from Russia. rt.com 
Russia more than doubled crude oil supplies to the United States and Britain in 2019, data from the Federal Customs Service (FCS) has revealed. | A fall in prices for the Russian Urals oil, combined with US sanctions against Venezuela and Iran, were among the reasons for such an increase in purchases. | According to the data cited by business news outlet RBC, in October Russia became the second-largest supplier of oil and petroleum products to the United States. At the end of 2019, crude oil exports from Russia amounted to almost $2.2 billion, 2.4 times more than in 2018. In physical terms, the volume of oil e…
(2020-02-27). US rejected key talks on extending soon-to-expire treaty that limits strategic nuclear arms — Russia. rt.com 
The US has declined an invitation to hold a formal meeting to discuss the legal details of extending the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which is due to expire in a year, a senior Russian diplomat has said. | Washington has decided to ditch important talks on the bilateral treaty's fate, the Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry's Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department, Vladimir Leontyev, told a strategic arms-themed event in the Russian parliament on Thursday. | We offered a meeting between our legal experts to make sure that we're on the same page and to negotiate a common understanding of…
(2020-02-27). A Difficult Peace‚Ä®. zcomm.org Nearly a thousand of us were gathered in Chicago beneath the alarming edifice of Chicago's "Trump Tower." Iran's General Qassem Soleimani had been brutally murdered the day before in Iraq, with several of his associates; and the welcome surprise of Iran's relatively measured response was yet a few days off. A region-wide conflagration seemed just
(2020-02-27). How Can the US Confront Coronavirus With 28 Million People Uninsured? truthout.org As the coronavirus continues to spread around the world, we don't yet know either the full scale of the unfolding global health disaster or the cumulative impact economically. But over the past week, as virus hotspots have emerged in South Korea, in Iran, in Italy and elsewhere, and as more and more countries find cases of the disease, we're beginning to get a sense of the magnitude of what is unfolding. | China has spent two months trying to contain an outbreak. As an authoritarian country it hasn't…
(2020-02-27). Death Toll from Coronavirus Rises to 26 in Iran. telesurenglish.net The outbreak of coronavirus, officially named as COVID-19, in Iran has affected 245 people, Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced on Thursday. | RELATED: | Kianush Jahanpur, head of Public Relations and Information Center of Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said that among the infected people, 26 have died. | Jahanpur said that Iran has raised the number of the laboratories for testing the vir…
(2020-02-27). Another Top Iranian Lawmaker Contracts Coronavirus As Number of Cases Nationwide Surpasses a Hundred. sputniknews.com The lawmaker represents the Qom Province in the Iranian Parliament. The province currently has the largest number of cases of coronavirus infection in the country.
(2020-02-27). US and Britain Increased Imports of Crude Oil From Russia in 2019 — Report. sputniknews.com In 2017, the US left the Iran nuclear deal and subsequently reinstated all previous sanctions against Tehran including on the nation's oil industry. Russia's Ministry of Economic Development earlier said that this factor could have largely contributed to the rise in popularity of Russian oil worldwide.
(2020-02-27). Iranian Vice-President Contracts Coronavirus — Reports. iranian.com Iran has 245 confirmed cases of infection with the COVID-19 disease, including 26 virus-associated deaths. The Islamic Republic's deputy health minister tested positive for the virus earlier this week. The Iranian vice president for women and family affairs, Masoumeh Ebtekar, has come down with the new strain of coronavirus, media reported Thursday. "Ms. Ebtekar showed …
(2020-02-27). No Space For War Between Nuclear Nations But Ready to Respond to India – Pakistan Military. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): The two South Asian nuclear-armed nations have been at loggerheads over the disputed region of Kashmir and have fought three wars in the past. Relations dipped to a new low after India in a surprise move revoked the decades-old special status of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with India.
(2020-02-27). Turkish Airlines temporarily halts Nakhchivan flights. yenisafak.com Turkish Airlines has temporarily suspended flights to Azerbaijan's autonomous Nakhchivan region, the company's chairman said Thursday.Turkey's national flag carrier continues flying to the Azerbaijani capital Baku and Ganja, the country's second-largest city, Ilker Ayci added.The airline disinfected more than 250 aircraft as part of measures to fight coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, he said.In the wake of a dozen deaths from coronavirus in neighboring Iran, service there has been suspended, along with flights to China, where the outbreak began.In China, the death toll from the outbreak has reached 2,746…
(2020-02-27). Turkish citizens returning from Iran to be quarantined. yenisafak.com Turkish health minister on Thursday informed the Turkish citizens living in Iran about a 14-day compulsory quarantine period in case they want to return to Turkey.Fahrettin Koca's remarks came in eastern Agri province where he was investigating measures against novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 at the Gurbulak-Bazargan customs gate between Turkey and Iran.Koca urged the Turkish citizens currently living in Iran to refrain from going out especially without wearing a mask and said they also need to ventilate their home.He said the citizens should pay attention to personal hygiene, wash hands properly and avoid cl…
(2020-02-27). Afghanistan 'peace deal' is not real without Iran. iranian.com Nearly two decades after the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan post-9/11, and after an interminable war costing over $ 2 trillion, there's hardly anything "historic" about a possible peace deal that may be signed in Doha this coming Saturday between Washington and the Taliban. We should start by stressing three points. 1- The Taliban wanted …
(2020-02-27). Thousands Of US Troops Return To Saudi Base After 17-Year Absence To "Deter Iran" iranian.com After a nearly 17 year absence, US troops have returned Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Air Base. The last time the base, which lies about 60 miles outside of Riyadh, saw an American presence was in 2003, after which the troops moved to Qatar. The American troop surge into the gulf region to curtail Iran continues even as the world …
(2020-02-27). America's Iran Policy Backed Into a Corner By MEK in Albania. iranian.com Since well before President Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, the U.S. and Iran have been in a de facto state of non-military warfare with sanctions, economic sabotage, cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns and social media attacks the weapons of choice. Both countries have exploited conflict in the region, especially after the rise …
(2020-02-26). "Sick People" — Russian Lawmakers Blast US for Nuclear War Exercise. globalresearch.ca US Defense Secretary Mark Esper participated in a war exercise late last week at the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) HQ in Omaha, Nebraska, which featured how the Pentagon would respond to a Russian nuclear attack on Europe,
(2020-02-26). The Pentagon's New Map: How to Know if America Is Your Enemy. globalresearch.ca If your country is friendly toward Russia, China, or Iran, then today's American Government is probably applying subversion, economic sanctions, or maybe even planning a coup, or (if none of those will succeed) probably is war-gaming now for a possible …
(2020-02-26). UN disarmament chief hopes upcoming conference will address current nuclear challenges. news.un.org With division and distrust rife among countries that possess nuclear arsenals, the UN disarmament chief is hopeful that the issue will be addressed during an upcoming conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
(2020-02-26). Iran: Hotel business hit hard by coronavirus outbreak. iranian.com A vast majority of hotels in Qom, a holy city of Iran, have closed in the wake of rising cases of the coronavirus. Ahmed Fellahiyan, head of Qom Hotels and Hostels Association, told Iranian Students News Agency: "There are no tourists left in Qom due to coronavirus. Reservations are all cancelled. Only 30% of hotels …
(2020-02-26). JCPOA Members Remain Committed to the Deal: Russian Official. iranian.com The Permanent Representative of Russia to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said on Wednesday that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is regarded as an important part of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Mikhail Ulyanov made the remarks in tweet about the meeting of the Joint Commission of the …
(2020-02-25). Iran deputy health minister has coronavirus: Adviser. iranian.com Tehran previously stated that at least 95 people had been diagnosed with the dangerous disease. The majority of confirmed cases in the country come from the city of Qom – a centre of traditional pilgrimage for Shia Muslims, with at least 15 Iranians dying from the disease. Iran's Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi has tested …
(2020-02-25). Deconstructing the election to Iran's Majlis. iranian.com Iran's parliamentary election on Friday took place in extraordinary circumstances. The pandemic fear over coronavirus significantly impacted the voter turnout, which is estimated to be around 42% (as compared to 62% in the 2016 election to the Majlis). A dozen people have died so far in Iran and a few dozen diagnosed with the virus …
(2020-02-24). How a Subtle Turkey-Iran Entente is Helping Iran Secure a Firm Presence in Syria. mintpressnews.com 
In the last of a three-part series, Agha Hussein investigates how cooperation with Turkey is helping Iran resist pressure to leave Syria.
(2020-02-24). Headlines for February 24, 2020. democracynow.org Bernie Sanders Wins Nevada Caucuses by a Landslide, Calls for MSNBC's Chris Matthews to Resign After He Likens Sanders's NV Win to Nazi Takeover of France, Global Coronavirus Cases Surge, Trump Touts Defense Deal, Praises Modi at Massive Indian Rally, In Afghanistan, U.S. and Taliban Start Partial Truce, Iran: Conservatives Pick Up Bulk of Parliament Seats After 1,000s of Candidates Barred from Running, Outrage After Video Shows Israeli Bulldozer Removing Body of Killed Palestinian, Teck Resources Withdraws Application for Contested Alberta Oil Sands After Sustained Protests, Reports: Trump Admin Out to Purge Dis…
(2020-02-24). Sanders Will Not Attend AIPAC Conference Over Concern for 'Basic Palestinian Rights'. iranian.com Democratic 2020 presidential primary frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders earned the praise of progressives after announcing on Sunday he would not attend the annual AIPAC conference due to his concerns over the group's willingness to endorse the views of bigots and its dismissal of the human rights of Palestinians. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), also a candidate …
(2020-02-24). Syria Stands As A Mega-Embarrassment For America. iranian.com For a long time, America has tried to ignore and distance itself from its role in making Syria the disaster it is today. Syria stands as a mega-embarrassment that shines a spotlight on America's failed foreign policy. To say President Obama blew it is an understatement. His inexperience took us down a rabbit hole with …
(2020-02-24). Iran's government disputes report that 50 have died from the coronavirus. iranian.com The Iranian government has denied trying to cover up the full extent of the coronavirus outbreak after reports suggested the death toll from the disease was more than four times higher than official figures claim. On Monday, a lawmaker from Qom — a Shia holy city 75 miles (120km) south of the capital, Tehran, which …
(2020-02-24). Iran-Iraq Border Crossing Reopens. iranian.com Spokesperson for the Iranian Customs Administration said the Mehran border crossing on the common border with Iraq reopened on Monday morning. According to Ruhollah Latifi, the Mehran border crossing in western Iran reopened at 10: 45 am local time on Monday. Meanwhile, director of the Iranian Customs Administration in Bilesavar in the northwestern province of Ardabil …
(2020-02-23). Russiagate 3.0 drowns out Trump's reckless escalation of US-Russia nuclear arms race. thegrayzone.com Amid new fear-mongering about "Russian interference," former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter on Trump's overlooked, reckless escalation of the US-Russia…
(2020-02-23). Regional Allies and Missiles Make Iran Invulnerable to US and Israeli Threats. iranian.com Many Iranians question the benefits of arming and financing Iran's many allies in the Middle East while Iran is suffering the harshest ever US "maximum pressure". Iran's allies are spread over Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. Is Iranian support for these allies the main cause of the US's aggressive attitude towards the Iranian …
(2020-02-22). Iranian, Dutch Top Diplomats Discuss Closer Ties. iranian.com Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Dutch counterpart, Stef Blok, held talks on a host of topics, including ways to boost bilateral relations between the two countries. In the meeting, held in Tehran on Saturday, Zarif and Blok exchanged views about the latest developments in the Middle East and other parts of the …
(2020-02-21). Iran Slams Plans to Add It to Money Laundering Blacklist. iranian.com Created in 1989 in Paris on the initiative of the Western industrial powers, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) includes the European Union, members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Israel, China, Russia, and nearly three dozen other countries and entities, with its formal goal being to fight terror financing and money laundering. FATF has added …
(2020-02-21). Ooops: Pentagon 'Accidentally' Tells The Truth About Idlib. iranian.com The Pentagon has in a rare moment gone off the mainstream narrative script concerning Idlib. The UK's Sky News interviewed US coalition spokesman Col. Myles Caggins as part of its coverage focusing on Syrian and Russian forces "indiscriminately" attacking civilians and "bombing hospitals" — however, the Army colonel gave a counter angle, instead focusing on the jihadist groups ruling Idlib as the fundamental …
(2020-02-13). Peace Action: Senate Reclaims War Powers to Thwart Iran War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — February 13, 2020 — In response to the Senate passing the bipartisan bill — S.J.Res.68 — that would thwart President Trump from going to war with Iran and end any current hostilities, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "It's about time …
(2020-02-08). US Deploys 'Mini-Nukes' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace. theantimedia.com These so-called "mini-nukes" represent—despite the diminutive-sounding name—an increased risk of nuclear war.
(2020-02-05). Trump Says War With Iran Was "Closer Than You Thought" Last Month. theantimedia.com Trump told reporters that the U.S. came "closer than you thought" to war with Iran last month.