Iran’s leadership defends coronavirus handling in Nowruz addresses
Iran's supreme leader canceled his public Nowruz speech and instead addressed Iranians on state TV.
In separate speeches to mark the Persian new year, Iran’s top leaders pledged to defeat the coronavirus outbreak that’s so far claimed the lives of more than 1,400 Iranians.
After canceling his annual Nowruz public address in the city of Mashhad earlier this month, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei released a video address on state TV Friday.
During the broadcast, Khamenei acknowledged the “tumultuous” past year and expressed his appreciation for the health care workers on the front lines of Iran’s coronavirus crisis.
“These acts of sacrifice were made by medical groups, physicians, nurses, assistants, managers and the staff working in hospitals,” he said. “All these phenomena are a source of dignity and reputation.”
