{"id":7718,"date":"2020-03-12T15:03:06","date_gmt":"2020-03-12T12:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/?p=7718"},"modified":"2021-06-01T13:01:45","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T10:01:45","slug":"covid-19-and-possibilities-to-reform-the-political-system-mahans-flights-to-china-continue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/monitoring-and-translation\/iran-in-a-week\/covid-19-and-possibilities-to-reform-the-political-system-mahans-flights-to-china-continue\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 and Possibilities to Reform the Political System; Mahan\u2019s Flights to China Continue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Necessity of not Lying\nto the People<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The editorial of Jahan Sanat focuses on the recent broadcast\nof fake news regarding the coronavirus outbreak by Iran\u2019s state media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iranian government officials attribute the fake news to the\nUnited States and its allies. This is not new as previously some hardline\nnewspapers had also published fake news and attributed it to Israel and\nAmerica. And since it wasn\u2019t possible to verify the fake news, some senior\nofficials also reiterated it from official platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, fake news that is mostly used to mislead the\npeople is now broadcast from Iran\u2019s state TV and radio. Some hosts and programs\nare eager to verify news, but in general most networks produce and reproduce\nsuch fake news. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is important is that when such fake news is broadcast\non state media, no proof is offered to back the claims, and no one takes\nresponsibility for what is being said. Meanwhile, TV hosts don\u2019t push the\nso-called experts to prove their claims and just approve what is said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently two controversial claims were made about\ncoronavirus: first, the United States and its allies have made the virus to\ncontrol the Chinese economy; second, China itself has made the virus and\nreleased it among its people to make American and European investors escape\nChina and sell their properties as cheaply as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who make such claims do not have any proof for what\nthey are saying. Such claims are not acceptable as in all countries,\nsafeguarding the public has turned into a key priority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, it is wise if experts on Iran\u2019s state media\n(IRIB) do not make such false claims, and IRIB\u2019s managers too stop lying to the\npeople. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jahan Sanat<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is the Coronavirus\nSpreading in Iran so Widely?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The editorial of Setareh Sobh focuses on the coronavirus\noutbreak in Iran and what the government should have done to stop it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coronavirus was first diagnosed by a Chinese doctor who lost\nhis wife due to the infection. Then the coronavirus fatally attacked Chinese\npeople. In the beginning, Chinese officials were confused and terrified as they\ndidn\u2019t know how to confront the virus. Then they asked experts and scientists\nfor help. The consensus was to put the entire city of Wuhan with millions of\npeople in quarantine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, any city or village with cases of coronavirus was\nimmediately quarantined. These methods gradually led to results, and the number\nof deaths and infections in China started to go down. The Chinese have\nannounced that in the near future, the number of infections and deaths will\nreach zero. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in Iran, the coronavirus was confronted differently. In\nthe beginning, it was probably not taken seriously due to political\nconsiderations such as the parliamentary elections or due to religious\nconsiderations. There was no serious resolve to confront the coronavirus. The\ngovernment took action very late, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said\nthat \u201cwe don\u2019t believe in putting cities under quarantine.\u201d Of course, he\ngradually realized that schools and universities must be closed and offices\nmust work at limited capacity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More importantly, the establishment has admitted that there\nmust be restrictions imposed on certain issues including individuals entering\nnorthern provinces like Gilan and Mazandaran that are seriously impacted by the\nvirus. In addition, the establishment halted Friday prayers and pilgrims\nvisiting religious landmarks. These steps have been to some extent fruitful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the city of Qom had been quarantined in early February,\nwe wouldn\u2019t have been witnessing this situation today which has made 80 million\nIranians concerned. The mistake was that the establishment didn\u2019t take the\nissue seriously, and people were not informed of the danger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iranian officials must give an explanation to people as to\nwhy they didn\u2019t take the coronavirus seriously from the beginning; why they\ncouldn\u2019t provide people with health care products like face masks, hand wash,\nand gloves; Also, the reasons why these products were hoarded.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setareh Sobh<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failed Management\nPractices of Past Crises Repeated During the Coronavirus Outbreak<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The editorial of Kasbokar explains the failure in managing\ncrises in Iran, focusing on the recent case of the coronavirus outbreak in\nwhich many lost their lives due to the mismanagement of the crisis at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease \u2013 just like other\ncrises in the country \u2013 has created a black market for disinfectants, face\nmasks and gloves. Products needed to avert the coronavirus disease were\nofficially announced, and people rushed to pharmacies to buy them, as a result\nof which there is a shortage in the market. Some suppliers of medical equipment\ntook advantage of the situation and created more serious problems. Such\nexploitation can be witnessed whenever there are critical situations in the country,\nand officials in charge have not learnt lessons in this regard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certainly, one of the tragedies in Iran at the time of\ncrisis is that profit-seeking individuals create numerous problems by hoarding\nand price gouging. At the time of the US sanctions, we saw such happenings. And\nnow when people are trying to fight the coronavirus disease, these people are exploiting\npeople\u2019s lives and health. There must be serious supervision because using fake\nproducts is more dangerous than not using them at all.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is closely related to people\u2019s lives and health.\nCurrently, in Tehran these individuals can be seen selling fake products, and\nthey must be confronted. Alcohol can be dangerous if used in excess of the\npermitted amount. In products sold by these individuals, there is a kind of\nalcohol that can cause kidney diseases and even blindness. There must be\ncomprehensive supervision for distributing products to make sure that only the\nright ones are given to consumers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kasbokar news<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Coronavirus and a\nDecrease in the Government\u2019s Revenues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The editorial of Jahan Sanat explains how the spread of the\ncoronavirus will significantly impact the Iranian government\u2019s revenues and\nexpenses for the next Iranian year (starting on March 21). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Iran was grappling with different kinds of problems in\nits economic, social, political and cultural fields, the coronavirus has added\nto these issues and has disrupted the country\u2019s policies including the\nratification of the budget bill for next year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the fact that the budget bill for next year was\nrejected by lawmakers, it was sent to the Guardian Council in accordance with Article\n85 of the Constitution \u2013 according to which the bill doesn\u2019t need to be\nratified by the Parliament. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is of significance is to pay attention to the\ngovernment\u2019s expenses and revenues in the budget bill next year. There is a\nsevere drop in the government\u2019s revenues, and the government\u2019s expenses have\nhugely increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, at the time of drafting the budget bill, the\nissue of being blacklisted by the FATF and the coronavirus and its costs were\nnot raised. Now with the coronavirus outbreak and a considerable drop in\nbusiness  incomes, the government will\nnot be able to obtain taxes. So it won\u2019t be possible to increase tax revenues\nnext year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, as businesses are not generating sufficient\nincome, the government will have to spend a lot on the impacted economic\nsectors. Therefore, the government\u2019s efforts to decrease its expenses will be\nfruitless, and it will not be able to increase revenues from oil and non-oil\nexports. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the government\u2019s revenues for next year are not\ncertain and its expenses are fixed, there is pressure for ratifying the budget\nbill. The government could announce an emergency situation, instead of\ninsisting on ratifying the budget bill as it is. It could ratify a provisional\nplan for a year or six months, given the new situation which has arisen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jahan Sanat<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COVID-19 and Possibilities\nto Reform the Political System<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After almost a month, the coronavirus crisis has turned Iran\ninto a battlefield. The spread of the disease before the beginning of the\nIranian new year has led to an increase in anxiety and economic pressure on the\npeople, with many accusing the government and the establishment of\nmismanagement in this regard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amidst the coronavirus outbreak in Iran, there is evidence\nof structural changes and reforms within the country. Some experts hold that\nthe coronavirus has marginalized many political disputes and weakened religious\nbeliefs, seeing this as ground for structural change in Iran. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, inside Iran many officials have called for suspending\nreligious ceremonies and Friday prayers until the end of the crisis, while\noverseas opposition leaders and activists have called for setting aside\npolitical conflicts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coronavirus can put an end to the government\u2019s systematic\ncover-up of different issues in Iran. Hiding the coronavirus outbreak in Iran\nbefore the Bahman 22 rallies to commemorate the anniversary of the Islamic\nrevolution is the latest case of systematic cover-up. But there is evidence\nshowing that the coronavirus disease is destroying the cover-up mechanism of\nthe Islamic Republic. The government has not been able to manage the news\nregarding the spread of the coronavirus, while public confidence has reached\nits lowest point. Also, healthcare officials have had a more open hand to\ndisobey religious authorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another consequence of the coronavirus outbreak is that it\nresulted in a confrontation between modern medical science and so-called\nIslamic medicine. What supporters of Islamic medicine prescribed as a\ncoronavirus antidote demonstrated the absurdity of this medicine to the Iranian\npeople. Also, the spread of the coronavirus from the religious city of Qom to\nthe rest of the country has raised questions over religious beliefs in this\nregard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, people are comparing the impact of the plague during\nthe European Renaissance period with that of the coronavirus. Some hold that\nCOVID-19 might have had such an impact on Iran, paving the way for a secular\ndemocracy in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

zeitoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mahan\u2019s Flights to\nChina Continue Despite a  Red Alert in\nIran<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Iran International\u2019s investigation shows that despite the\nIranian government\u2019s claims, flights between Iran and China have not been\ncancelled, notwithstanding the spread of the coronavirus in this country. The\ninvestigation shows that Mahan Air undertook at least 34 flights \u2013 with 18 from\nIran to China and 16 from China to Iran \u2013 from February 1 to March 5. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Platforms for tracking flights in the world were used by\nIran International to investigate foreign flights of Iran Air and Mahan Air\nduring the above mentioned period. The 34 flights were between Tehran and the\ncities of Wuhan, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While on January 31, the Iranian government\u2019s spokesperson\nannounced in the government\u2019s emergency meeting that all flights to and from\nChina were cancelled, the investigation shows that on February 4, a Mahan Air\nflight left Tehran for Wuhan and returned the day after. Wuhan is one of the\ncenters of the coronavirus outbreak in China and the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the deadly spread of the coronavirus to the northern\nprovinces of Iran and a Red Alert there, Mahan Air has continued its flights to\nChina.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iran International <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

US to Warn Shipping\nCompanies About Transporting Iran\u2019s Oil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A senior official in the US Department of State said that\nsoon the US administration will give warnings to shipping and insurance\ncompanies over cooperation with Iran, advising ships not to turn off their\ntransponders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to David Peyman, head of the Office of Economic\nSanctions Policy and Implementation in the US Department of State, some\nshipping and insurance companies are still working with Tehran and carry its\nshipments despite the US sanctions on Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peyman said that the United States will identify and\nconfront individuals and companies that help Iran in storing, transporting, and\nselling oil and petrochemicals, thus breaching the US sanctions on Iran. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that the United States encourages vessel captains to\ntake pictures and videos of any ship-to-ship transfers which violate US\nsanctions and send them to the US administration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peyman asserted that the United States has advised oil\ntankers to not to turn off their transponders so that their locations can be\ntraced at any time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The International Maritime Organization requires that all\nships must use transponders all the time for safety and transparency so that\nthey can be identified and located at any time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most buyers have stopped purchasing Iran\u2019s oil. But China\nstill buys Iran\u2019s oil. Last September, Trump\u2019s administration put sanctions on\na Chinese company for transporting Iran\u2019s crude oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deutsche Welle <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Lawmaker Criticizes\nClerics for not Putting Qom in Quarantine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gholam Reza Heydari, a \u201creformist\u201d lawmaker and a member of the Parliament\u2019s Budget and Planning Committee, has fiercely criticized those who have \u201cplayed with people\u2019s health\u201d by preventing the city of Qom from being quarantined after the coronavirus outbreak. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heydari quoted Iran\u2019s Prosecutor General as saying that\n\u201cdisrupting people\u2019s health is like spreading corruption on the earth.\u201d He\nadded, \u201cthen what is the sentence for the individual who stopped imposing\nrestrictions in Qom and did not let the corona disease be nipped in the bud?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referring to Friday prayers, Gholam Reza Heydari pointed out\nthat some clerics and religious figures have turned some rituals into taboos,\n\u201cbut people\u2019s health is important, and one cannot play with it due to some\nillusions.\u201d He continued that nonetheless some clerics agreed  to cancel Friday prayers, although some did\nnot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Parliament member also noted that the coronavirus\nepidemic started from Qom and the judiciary should be asked to sentence the\nperson who refused to allow restrictions to be placed in public places. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t they even want to question those who prevented\nrestrictions, especially at the time when the only way to stop the coronavirus\nspreading was to impose restrictions on attending public gatherings?\u201d he\nasserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Etemad online<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iran\u2019s Energy\nMinistry has 5931 Projects Underway, Says a Minister<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said that his ministry\nhas 5,931 projects underway as well as 884,000 billion tomans invested in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a press conference, Ardakanian also asserted that three power\nplants and 40 projects in Iran\u2019s water and electricity industries with an\ninvestment of 6,000 billion tomans will become operational in 15 provinces in\nthe spring of 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a different note, the energy minister pointed out that\nIran has had some achievements in its joint activities with neighboring\ncountries in the past year. He specifically pointed to Iran\u2019s membership in the\nEurasian Economic Union which took effect in November 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IRNA<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Necessity of not Lying to the People The editorial of Jahan Sanat focuses on the recent broadcast of fake news regarding the coronavirus outbreak by Iran\u2019s state media. Iranian government officials attribute the fake news to the United States and its allies. This is not new as previously some hardline newspapers had also published […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":7719,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[4446,1637,2927,2791,4482,4008],"class_list":["post-7718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-iran-in-a-week","tag-covid-19","tag-iran-in-a-week","tag-iranian-political-system","tag-irans-oil","tag-mahans-flights","tag-political-system"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7718"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9275,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7718\/revisions\/9275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}