Investigation casts doubt on Iranian Covid death figures

By Nathan Morley

According to an investigation by the BBC, the Iranian government's own records appear to show almost 42,000 people died with Covid-19 symptoms up to 20 July.

That figure is in stark contrast to the 14,405 reported by its Health Ministry.

Furthermore, the BBC reports that since the outbreak of the virus in Iran, many observers have doubted the official numbers.

They say that the number of people known to be infected is also almost double official figures.

The data was sent to the British broadcaster by an anonymous source.

Second wave

Iran has suffered a second steep rise in the number of cases over the last fortnight.

On Sunday, authorities reported its highest single-day Covid-19 infection count in a month.

For its part, the Health Ministry in Tehran says reports to the World Health Organization on coronavirus cases and deaths are “transparent”.