Influential clerics Akbar Dehghan and Reza Mohammadi Langroudi are the latest Iranian religious figures to fall victim to coronavirus, as the virus continues to infect and kill politicians and military and religious figures in the country.

Cleric Akbar Dehghan also died from coronavirus on Thursday, the semi-official Khabar Online news agency reported on Friday. Dehghan headed the Qom seminary interpretation staff.

Ayatollah Reza Mohammadi Langroudi also died from the virus, state media confirmed on Saturday.

Iranian MP Fatemeh Rahbar died due to coronavirus, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.

Ayatollah Mohsen Habibi, a member of the Supreme Council of Tehran’s Seminaries, also died from coronavirus, the state-run Rokna news agency confirmed on Thursday.

The Iranian judiciary’s website, Mizan, reported on Thursday that cleric Ali Khalafi, a deputy to the head of the judiciary, has died.

While Mizan did not cite the cause of death, Iranians online speculated that coronavirus was the cause.

The judiciary denied that Khalafi died from coronavirus on Friday.

Rasoul Azizi, the head of Gilan’s police inspection department, has also died, local media reported, without citing the cause of death.

Azizi is also believed to have been infected with coronavirus.

Iran’s northern province of Gilan is one of the epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Ahmad Khosravi, a pro-regime activist, also died from coronavirus. News of his death was widely circulated on social media amongst pro-regime users.

Two Iranian vice presidents and two advisors to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as several other ministers and parliament members have also been infected with coronavirus in Iran.

Iran on Saturday reported 21 new deaths from the novel coronavirus and 1,076 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall tolls to 145 dead and 5,823 infected.



Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 14:06 - GMT 11:06