Over 196,500 Iranians have now died from the coronavirus, according to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran) on January 4, with the virus identified in 478 cities.
The MEK reported that the death tolls in the provinces is now:
- Tehran is 48,191
- Isfahan 12,185
- Qom 7,675
- East Azerbaijan 7,527
- Mazandaran 7,512
- Gilan 6,976
- Fars 6,013
- Alborz 5,140
- Golestan 4,847
- Hamedan 4,670
- Kerman 4,328
- Central Province 4,073
- Yazd 3,472
- Zanjan 2,065
- Hormozgan 2,060
- Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari 1,545
- Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad 1,419
The MEK have always advised that their statistics do not include provinces that did not update their totals overnight and should be considered a minimum because of the secrecy of the mullahs around statistics that make them look bad.
In a related note, the regime is continuing to lie to the people about the coronavirus, with Health Minister Saeed Namaki claiming that a domestic vaccine is coming in the spring.
The Iranian Immunology and Allergy Association was much franker about the situation, saying that vaccines approved by international authorities must be bought because immediately any delay will result in extra lives lost. While National Coronavirus Combat Taskforce (NCCT), spokesman Alireza Raisi, said that the trend of infections and deaths is not decreasing in Ardabil, Golestan, Gilan, and Mazandaran provinces.
Of course, it is not just a general lack of government leadership during the pandemic that will cause respiratory deaths this year. The MEK quoted the head of the Environmental Organization as saying that diesel and fuel pollution will increase coronavirus deaths six-fold.
Indeed, Health Commission, members have argued that air pollution needs more serious attention in the wake of the pandemic, especially as air pollution levels are currently at dangerous levels in Tehran. In fact, the red zone levels that Tehran is seeing is considered “unhealthy for all groups” and has resulted in 10 Iranian cities being shut down for the second day in a row.
The argument is that the regime should consider a full lockdown in the capital, with people warned to stay indoors.
Meanwhile, the MEK reported and regime official confirmed that this air pollution is being caused by power plants burning heavy mazut oil, which is known to be harmful to the environment and human health, to generate power because of a shortage of natural gas. (Again, the regime had previously lied about rising gas production.
The opposition leader Maryam Rajavi addressed the regime’s failure to address both air pollution and the coronavirus in a statement.
She said: “Because of pollution, the people of Tehran and major Iranian cities cry out “we cannot breathe!” The mullahs waste the country’s wealth in anti-patriotic nuclear and missile projects and on the export of terrorism. By using Mazut, they bring death to the people of Iran. The mullahs’ president, Hassan Rouhani, says domestic and foreign vaccines are on the way, but the head of the Central Bank says only 200 million Euros have been allocated for 8.4 million people, i.e., one-tenth of the population.”
