Al-Monitor - The Iranian president said skeptics of the official coronavirus narrative in his country are serving as enemy mouthpieces.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has dismissed allegations of cover-up and mismanagement in his government�s response to the coronavirus outbreak. �They are a small minority and the mouthpieces of foreigners,� Rouhani said in his portrayal of those critics, �who are simply parroting� the enemy�s stance, trying to �profiteer� from the pandemic by �disseminating mistrust� in society.

Iran announced 94 new deaths April 22, raising coronavirus mortalities close to 5,400. Infections stood near 86,000 as signs appeared that the earlier sharp rise in COVID-19 cases was slowly coming under control. From day one, however, Iran�s official account has been challenged not just from abroad, but with an even more fierce, blistering critique at home. City council members, mayors and lawmakers representing the hardest-hit cities such as Qom, Rasht, Mashhad and Tehran have relentlessly expressed skepticism about the government�s version, which they believe is not reflective of the larger number of deaths and cases.

Earlier this week, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour, who has become a familiar face on Iran�s state TV with daily coronavirus briefings, lashed out at some members of the Reformist-dominated Tehran city council for questioning his statements, advising them to stay out of areas in which they lack specialty. �They do have a history of expressing such opinions about elections as well,� Jahanpour said, referencing the 2009 disputed election in Iran, when the larger Reformist camp alleged widespread vote rigging in favor of hard-line candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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