Imam Khamenei Orders Formation of Health and Treatment Base as Part of Biological Defense

By Staff, Agencies

Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei issued an edict to Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri, emphasizing the need for the establishment of a “health and treatment base” to prevent further spread of an ongoing coronavirus epidemic in the country.

In his Thursday edict, which was addressed to General Baqeri, Imam Khamenei first commended the services, which have been so far rendered to the people of Iran by the Armed Forces in their drive to hamper further spread of coronavirus.

“While commending the services that the Armed Forces have so far provided to the dear people [of Iran], and while emphasizing the need for those services to further expand and continue, it is necessary that these services be organized in the form of a health and treatment base,” Imam Khamenei wrote in his edict.

“In addition to establishing such treatment facilities as field hospitals and infirmaries, and so forth, you must focus on prevention of further spread of this disease through necessary means as well,” Imam Khamenei added.

“Since there is some evidence that this incident might be a ‘biological attack’, this measure could be also some form of biological defense drill, which would add to national power and strength [of the country],” His Eminence stressed.

Novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, is a new respiratory disease first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. The World Health Organization on Wednesday described the outbreak as a pandemic.

Right after the virus emerged in the north-central Iranian city of Qom, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps [IRGC], Iran’s elite defense force, expressed preparedness to help fight the unwelcome phenomenon.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami also assigned his ministry's subsidiary organizations with the task of mass-producing liquid disinfectants and protective gear, including face masks, which are currently in high demand and are being freely distributed by health centers countrywide.