Iran and North Korea reacted very differently to U.S. offers to help battle coronavirus
The United States has extended overtures toward two countries, Iran and North Korea, with whom tensions remain high, offering to cooperate in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. Pyongyang and Tehran had very different responses.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday refused the United States' assistance to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has been particularly harsh in Iran where tough economic sanctions preventing the sale of crude oil and access to international financial markets remain in place.
In his speech, Khamenei not only rejected U.S. aid, but he also trumpeted a conspiracy theory first touted in China that the virus was a man-made U.S. government weapon. He said he doesn't know if the accusation is true, but wondered "who in their right mind would trust you to bring them medication" when that medication might be "a way to spread the virus more," before suggesting that the real reason U.S. medical personnel might want to come to Iran is to "see the effect of the poison they have produced."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Meanwhile, North Korea seemed to appreciate the gesture a little more. Pyongyang said Sunday that President Trump sent another personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, this time reportedly expressing his willingness to cooperate with the country on "anti-epidemic" work, referring to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Kim Yo Jong, Kim's sister and policy aid, praised the letter as "good judgment and proper action" and said Trump was impressed with North Korea's ability to curb the threat of the virus. North Korea has not reported any COVID-19 cases, but health experts fear the secretive nation is covering up an outbreak. The White House confirmed Trump sent Kim a letter, but did not comment on its contents. Read more at The New York Times and The Associated Press.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
What Mike Huckabee means for US-Israel relations
In the Spotlight Some observers are worried that the conservative evangelical minister could be a destabilizing influence on an already volatile region
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Airplane food is reportedly getting much worse
Under the radar Cockroaches and E. coli are among the recent problems encountered in the skies
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: November 19, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
ACA opens 2025 enrollment, enters 2024 race
Speed Read Mike Johnson promises big changes to the Affordable Care Act if Trump wins the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
McDonald's sued over E. coli linked to burger
Speed Read The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states and left one dead
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Long Covid: study shows damage to brain's 'control centre'
The Explainer Research could help scientists understand long-term effects of Covid-19 as well as conditions such as MS and dementia
By The Week UK Published
-
FDA OKs new Covid vaccine, available soon
Speed read The CDC recommends the new booster to combat the widely-circulating KP.2 strain
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Mpox: how dangerous is new health emergency?
Today's Big Question Spread of potentially deadly sub-variant more like early days of HIV than Covid, say scientists
By The Week UK Published
-
What is POTS and why is it more common now?
The explainer The condition affecting young women
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Brexit, Matt Hancock and black swans: five takeaways from Covid inquiry report
The Explainer UK was 'unprepared' for pandemic and government 'failed' citizens with flawed response, says damning report
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Should masks be here to stay?
Talking Points New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposed a mask ban. Here's why she wants one — and why it may not make sense.
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published