President Urges Mobilization of Iranians in Coronavirus Battle

In the statement released on Sunday, Rouhani said due to the mutation of the coronavirus and the rise of COVID-19 pandemic in the country, and at the suggestion of the Ministry of Health and the Coronavirus Operational Headquarters, the “Comprehensive Coronavirus Combat Plan” was approved to impose severe restrictions in various cities across the country as of November 21.

The full text of his statement is as follows, according to the government’s official website:

In the Name of God

Great and proud nation of Iran;

Due to the mutation of the coronavirus and the rise of COVID-19 pandemic in the country, and at the suggestion of the Ministry of Health and the Coronavirus Operational Headquarters, the "Comprehensive Coronavirus Combat Plan" was approved at the National Task Force against Coronavirus, based on which, severe restrictions will be mandatory in various cities across the country as of next week. In these conditions, the moral, religious and revolutionary duty of all of us is to preserve the life of society and to pay attention to public responsibility and to act in accordance with the requirements of these conditions. Therefore, I consider it my duty to inform the honorable people of Iran of the following:

1. I announce public mobilization of the nation and the government to confront the third wave of the coronavirus in the country;

2. I call on all government departments and other branches and institutions to give assistance to the Ministry of Health and the medical staff of the country with all their facilities by strictly implementing the resolutions of the National Task Force against Coronavirus;

3. I call on the Coronavirus Operational Headquarters to pursue the implementation by the responsible agencies of all the resolutions of the National Task Force;

4. I call on the Plan and Budget Organization to immediately provide the funds required by the Ministry of Health and other agencies responsible for dealing with the coronavirus in the implementation of this plan;

5. I call on the Ministry of Health to fully –and without any negligence– implement the plan to monitor the quarantine of patients and identify the contact and warning ring and, if necessary, impose fines;

6. I call on the Police and the Basij to implement in full and without exception the disciplinary decisions, the rules of physical distancing and severe health restrictions, and the officers to take action against the very small minority of violators who endanger the health security of the society;

7. I call on the responsible media and politicians across the country to give priority to the task of informing and persuading the public in observing the health protocols, considering the definite priority of protecting the lives of the people, and confront political and partisan views of the coronavirus;

8. I also call on the intelligent and honorable people of Iran to protect other people's general rights and their rights to life, to observe the rules of fighting the coronavirus as their religious and social duty, and to invite everyone to this social duty, and do not tolerate any kind of negligence or abuse in this regard.

Hassan Rouhani

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran