Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo lashed out Monday at Iran, accusing the country of
spreading dangerous rumors about COVID-19, including a conspiracy
theory manufactured in China that the novel
coronavirus behind the global pandemic was man-made by the United
States.
Pompeo’s comments were in response to a series of peculiar
claims by Tehran accusing the United States of having nefarious
intentions when it offered Iran money and medical supplies to help
it combat the deadly disease.
“The U.S. has offered $100M+ in medical aid to other
nations – including Iran – and our scientists are working 24/7
to develop a vaccine,” Pompeo tweeted. “@khamenei_ir has
rejected American offers and spends 24/7 concocting conspiracy
theories. How does that help the Iranian people.”
FACT: The U.S. has offered $100M+ in medical
aid to other nations—including Iran—and our scientists are
working 24/7 to develop a vaccine. @khamenei_ir
has rejected American offers and spends 24/7 concocting conspiracy
theories. How does that help the Iranian people?— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo)
March 23, 2020
Pompeo also tweeted, “@khamenei_ir’s fabrications that the
U.S. is responsible for the #WuhanVirus put Iranians, Americans,
and the rest of the world at risk. Facts matter. Here are a
few:”
Pompeo then went down a laundry list of accusations
against Iran including allegations that in February, Iran’s Mehan
Air, continued to fly at least 55 times between Tehran and
China.
“At least five countries’ first cases of #COVID19 were a
direct result of the Iranian regime’s disregard for everyone’s
health.”
FACT: In February, Iran’s chief terror
airline, Mahan Air, continued to fly at least 55 times between
Tehran and China, spreading the
#WuhanVirus. At least five countries’ first cases of
#COVID19 were a direct result of the Iranian regime’s
disregard for everyone’s health.— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo)
March 23, 2020
The State Department has also accused Iran of downplaying the
number of COVID-19 cases as well as the deaths related to them.
On Sunday, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei refused help from the United States.
The ayatollah’s comments came as Iran faces crushing U.S.
sanctions blocking the country from selling its crude oil and
accessing international financial markets.
Instead of accepting help, Khamenei questioned the
motives of Americans and pushed one lie after another to his
people.
“I do not know how real this accusation is but when it exists,
who in their right mind would trust you to bring them
medication?” he said, referring to the United States. “Possibly
your medicine is a way to spread the virus more.”
He also alleged without any evidence whatsoever that
COVID-19 “is specifically built for Iran using the genetic data
of Iranians which they have obtained through different
means.”
“You might send people as doctors and therapists, maybe they
could want to come here and see the effect of the poison they have
produced in person,” he claimed.
There is no scientific proof to support Khamenei’s
comments.
However, his outlook does seem to align with propaganda out of
China in recent days that has aimed to flip the narrative of
COVID-19’s origins and blame the United States for the deadly
disease.
China has engaged in a high-stakes campaign to blame the United
States for COVID-19, and then position itself as a global hero
ready to come to the aid of the hardest-hit countries. Beijing’s
aggressive comments have prompted additional back-and-forth swipes
between the State Department and its Chinese counterpart.
The post
Pompeo and Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei Trade Jabs Over Coronavirus,
Rumors & Aid appeared first on Harbingers Daily.
