'Virus at Iran's gates': How Tehran failed to halt outbreak

Appearing before cameras, sweating profusely and coughing, man leing Iran's response to new coronavirus promised it was of danger to his country. "Quarantines belong to Stone ," Iraj Harirchi insisted. A day later, he was in quarantine from virus.

Harirchi's story is a microcosm of what has happened in Iran in pandemic. Roughly nine out of 10 cases in Middle East come from Islamic Republic, which has reported nearly 15,000 infections and 853 deaths amid fears that cases may still be underreported. While most infected people recover, virus spres rapidly and can kill elderly and those with breathing problems or or underlying illnesses.

Days of denials gave virus time to spre in Iran as it marked 41st anniversary of 1979 Islamic Revolution with rallies and n held a parliamentary election in which authorities desperately sought to boost turut.

Although Iran has one of Mideast's best medical systems, its hospitals appear overwhelmed and authorities have asked for 172 million masks from abro. It also has asked International Monetary Fund for $5 billion, first such loan for Iran since 1962.

Dr. Amir A. Afkhami of George Washington University who studies Iran, said loan request "speaks to how dire situation is getting and m realizing that it's spun out of control.”

With Persian New Year of wruz on Friday, authorities appear unable or unwilling to halt travel as virus-hit towns threaten to set up ir own checkpoints to turn away or even attack outsiders.

What happens next is unkwn, but it will t only affect Iran's civilian government and Shiite ocracy, whose members alrey have fallen ill, but also wider world.

Among unkwns is Iran's “patient zero” — person first infected with coronavirus in nation.

Authorities believe outbreak started in Qom, stronghold of Iran's Shiite clergy, 125 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of Tehran. Authorities suggested that perhaps an infected Iranian businessman brought it from China. Qom draws Chinese students to its seminaries. It is also along a $2.7 billion high-speed train route being built by a Chinese company.

"Mysterious virus at Iran's gates," warned pro-reform newspaper Aftab-e Yazd as China began a lockdown in January. Yet travel between China and Iran continued.

first two coronavirus cases were anunced Feb. 19, with both victims dying in Qom. Since it can take up to two weeks to show symptoms, y could have gotten it in early February.

Iran went ahe with its Feb. 21 election, with lowest turut since revolution government wanted to boost its legitimacy after shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people aboard. Days earlier, a U.S. drone strike in Iraq killed top Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, furr shaking its credibility.

In Qom, Iran kept open gold-domed shrine of Fatima Masumeh, a Shiite saint. Crowds throng re 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to touch and kiss it. Or countries, by comparison, closed or thoroughly cleaned churches, mosques and holy sites.

“ city’s religious epit — ‘ nest of Prophet and his family’ — was intended to reassure believers worldwide that it was insulated against epidemics and or disasters,” wrote Mehdi Khalaji, a Qom-trained Shiite ologian who is an analyst at Washington Institute for Near-East Policy. “If early reports about spre of coronavirus prove correct, Qom’s status as ideological capital of Islamic Revolution helped make it pathogen’s transmitting center to rest of Iran and at least seven or countries.”

Since n, hazmat-suited workers have disinfected shrines. By Monday night, bFatima Masumeh shrine and ar one in Mashh h closed, only to see online videos purport to show hard-line faithful storming shrines' courtyard, demanding y open.

But virus h alrey spre into government and Shiite ocracy.

It killed Expediency Council member Mohamm Mirmohammi, described as close to Supreme Leer Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hi Khosroshahi, a former envoy to Vatican, and Ahm Tuyserkani, an viser to judiciary chief, also died, as did some lawmakers. sick include Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, better kwn as “Sister Mary,” English-speaking spokeswoman for students who seized U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 in 444-day host crisis.

Even 80-year-old Khamenei was seen wearing disposable gloves at a tree-planting ceremony.

Iran's death rate from virus is higher than in or hard-hit nations. Outside experts and even some lawmakers and officials in country alleged it was hiding true number of infections and deaths.

Initial denials have appeared to weaken over time.

“We found out a little late that coronavirus h entered Iran because we mistook it for flu,” said Reza Malekzeh, a deputy health minister.

A man in Qom filmed rows of bodies in black bags and caskets awaiting burial in a trench, alleging all h tested positive for virus. Officials said burials were delayed pending test results, and man was later arrested.

Iran's 80 million people, whose sense of high risk has been dulled by years of international isolation, are crowding grocery stores and butcher shops, suspicious of state media.

government has stopped short of ordering major travel restrictions, even for wruz when millions are on move. It hasn't explained why, but re could be worry about furr angering its people or slowing down its sanctions-hurt ecomy.

Online videos show Iranians igring pleas to stay home and inste heing for Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf coasts.

Harirchi, health official who fell ill, said Iran hopes to contain disease by March 26.

man who once called quarantines a thing of past ded: "I beg people to minimize ir trips and contacts, and isolate infected people from ors completely.”