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Zionist elements developed deadlier strain of coronavirus against Iran: Academic

Thursday, 05 March 2020 7:09 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 05 March 2020 7:19 PM ]

James Henry Fetzer

An American academic and analyst has suggested that “Zionist elements” in the US or Israel have exploited the global coronavirus epidemic to create and spread a deadlier strain of the virus in Iran as a form of “biological warfare” against Iranians.

“I believe that what is going on is, under the cloak of the alleged coronavirus epidemic, that biological warfare is being conducted against Iran by Zionist elements who are taking advantage of the situation,” said James Fetzer, a retired professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota.

“This is why Iran appears to be hit so severely; in other words, the coronavirus is being used as a smokescreen to conceal the fact that the real enemies of Iran are deliberately targeting the Iranian people,” Fetzer told Press TV on Thursday.

Fetzer said a more aggressive type of the new coronavirus might be spreading in Iran. “I encourage Iranian scientists to examine the virus to see if it is, or is not, the same as the virus that is alleged to be causing such harm around the world,” he said.

“Almost certainly, in my opinion, this is in fact a plot to damage Iran,” he added.

Coronavirus was produced in a laboratory: Former CIA intel officer

A former military intelligence officer of the CIA has said that the “Coronavirus did not occur naturally through mutation but rather was produced in a laboratory, possibly as a biological warfare agent.”

Iran on Thursday reported 591 new infections and 15 new deaths from coronavirus. That brought the total number of confirmed cases in Iran to 3,513 while deaths have reached 107 since the outbreak began in the country on February 19.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday dismissed US offers for helping Iran in the fight against coronavirus, saying the Americans should lift bans on Iran’s access to medicines if they are really genuine in their humanitarian claims.

Despite the sanctions, Iran has mobilized all its resources to fight coronavirus with authorities saying that hundreds of people have been released from hospitals over the past days after recovering from the illness.

The World Health Organization said Wednesday the mortality rate among reported cases was 3.4 percent, revising upward previous estimates.

But there is likely significant underreporting around the world and the disease's true lethality will only be better understood over time.

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