Report alleges cover-up by Iran on Covid-19 outbreak

Iran International, which airs Persian programmes, claimed that the WHO report said the government withheld information on the virus, risking the safety of its citizens and international travellers.

A UK-based Iranian TV channel has claimed to have obtained a leaked report from the World Health Organization (WHO) detailing how Covid-19 was present in Iran weeks before the government gave an official announcement on the outbreak.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a cabinet meeting as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues, in Tehran, Iran. (Reuters File Photo)

Iran International, which airs Persian programmes, claimed that the WHO report said the government withheld information on the virus, risking the safety of its citizens and international travellers. Iran confirmed its first two cases of Covid-19 in the city of Qom on February 19.

“The investigation by the WHO concluded that the virus was most likely circulating in Qom for several weeks before the official announcement by the government,” Iran International said in a press release.