Coronavirus Outbreak A 'US Biological Attack'? Iran Commander Blames USA For COVID-19

KEY POINTS

Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami alleges COVID-19 is a U.S. biological weapon
The U.S. attacked China then Iran with its COVID-19 biological weapon
He vows Iran will beat the virus

Iran currently ranks fourth among countries worst hit by the raging COVID-19 outbreak with 3,513 confirmed cases and 107 deaths. The number of deaths ranks Iran third in the world.

Even as Iran's healthcare system struggles to cope with the relentless spread of the virus, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) now proclaims COVID-19 is a U.S. biological warfare weapon launched at Iran and China. After blasting the U.S., IRGC chief commander Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami also vowed Iran will "win the fight" against COVID-19.

Gen. Salami pointed out the COVID-19 outbreak "maybe the product of the American biological invasion" and that Iran "is engaged in a biological battle" against the U.S., according to the Iranian Student's News Agency, in a rough translation through Google Translate.

"Even today, we will win, even in the fight against the virus which may be a product of the American biological invasion that first spread to China and then to Iran," declared Gen. Salami. "The United States knows if it did that, [the virus] will return [to it]."

He was adamant Iran will win this biological war, stating "be sure we are close to victory and the believers will see the conquests."

The Head of #Iran's #IRGC said, on Thursday, regarding the #coronavirus outbreak, that this virus could be the product of a US biological attack that started in China, then reached Iran, then spread to the rest of the world.
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) March 5, 2020

This false conspiracy theory, which was also being spread worldwide by Russia, was echoed by Brig. Gen. Gholam Reza Jalali, head of Iran's Civil Defense Organization. Gen. Jalali said the COVID-19 outbreak is a "biological attack" against China and Iran.

He said the global news coverage of the raging outbreak is a type of media propaganda "aimed at increasing fear and panic among people." He also suggested a "biological attack has been launched against China and Iran with economic goals."

In early February, Russia launched a global attack blaming the United States for unleashing COVID-19 on China in a Trump-sanctioned effort to cripple the latter's economy. Russia claims COVID-19 is really an American biological warfare weapon developed by U.S. scientists and covertly launched by American spies to destroy rival China.

The fake news spread to traditional Russian news media organizations such as Pravda and Izvestia and Russian politicians. It's also widely disseminated among social media platforms.