President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran will seek to reopen the country as it enters what Tehran calls the third phase of managing the coronavirus outbreak.

Rouhani, who is also the head of the country’s National Committee for Combatting the Coronavirus, said June 11, “Both domestic experts and international organizations have stated an end to coronavirus cannot be determined.” He added, “Using smart social distancing, we must enter this phase while protecting the health of people by following health instructions in the course of necessary economic and social activities.”   

Iran's first phase was essentially a nationwide lockdown that closed all but essential businesses, blocked inter-province traffic and closed schools, mosques, cinemas and other public spaces. The second phase, “smart social distancing,” involved a gradual reopening, staggered office schedules and dividing provinces and cities into zones based on the number of coronavirus infections. The color-coded zones indicate how far city officials can go in reopening their areas. 

Rouhani is dubbing the next phase “compatibility with coronavirus.”