Hossein Momeni, an Iranian scholar who lectures at religious seminars in Qom, said in a March 10, 2020 interview on Ofogh TV (Iran) that COVID-19 is without a doubt a man-made disease that has emerged as a weapon against the Shi'ites, the Muslims, and the Iranians. He expressed confidence that this disaster will morph into an opportunity for Iran much like many disasters have since the Islamic revolution.

Hossein Momeni: "This [coronavirus] disease is, without a doubt, man-made. Whether it was deliberate or not is another discussion, but this disease has definitely emerged as a weapon against the Shi'ites, against the Muslims, and against the Iranians. In a society that draws its faith from its [holy figures], the disease serves as [a weapon] by the enemy.

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"Very soon, you shall see that this disease – this disaster, this threat – will morph into an opportunity. We have had many such opportunities over the past 40 years that had horrible beginnings."