The spokesman of Iran’s health ministry has said that figures of coronavirus infections and deaths published by China’s government was a “bitter joke”.

Kianush Jahanpur in a video media conference March 5 said, “It seems statistics from China was a bitter joke, because many in the world thought this is just like influenza, with fewer deaths. This [impression] were based on reports from China and now it seems China made a bitter joke with the rest of the world”.

Jahanpur added, “If in China they say an epidemic was controlled in two months, one should really think about it”.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also on Friday questioned information received from China, complaining that it led the United States to face more challenges in dealing with the epidemic.

In recent days world media has also questioned coronavirus statistics published by China, which says in Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic 2,500 people lost their lives, while the death toll is much higher in European countries and the United States, which have modern or advanced medical infrastructure.

The death rate per one million people in Italy and Spain is around 250, while China’s official death rate is just 2. As of April 4, the U.S. deaths per one million were 26.