Kuwait Offers Assistance to Iran to Combat Coronavirus


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Nasser Mohammed Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah voiced the Arab country’s readiness to help Iran combat the outbreak of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19.

In a telephone conversation on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Kuwaiti counterpart held talks on a range of issues, including the latest efforts to contain the coronavirus epidemic.

The Kuwaiti top diplomat said his country is ready to cooperate and send assistance to the Islamic Republic to combat the infectious disease. 

Zarif, for his part, expressed his gratitude to Kuwait for the offer to assist Iran and said the battle against the COVID-19 necessitates regional and global cooperation.

Iran’s administration on Thursday extended the closure of all schools and universities nationwide until the end of the current Iranian year (March 19) as the country is struggling with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

Medical staffs in 21 provinces of Iran have been working tirelessly over the past weeks to contain the novel coronavirus that has originated from China.

Several high-ranking officials, including the deputy health minister and five lawmakers, have tested positive for the coronavirus as the spread of the outbreak forced the government to call on people to stay at home.

The Health Ministry announced on Thursday that the number of people who have died from the coronavirus in the country has risen to 107 and the total number of confirmed cases to 3,513, including 1,352 patients in the province of Tehran alone.