“Iran announces 43 new coronavirus deaths, raising toll to 237,” Times of Israel, March 9, 2020.

“Iran Releases 70,000 Prisoners Amid More Deaths, Infections,” Asharq Al-Awsat, March 9, 2020.

“Iran supreme leader cancels Persian new year speech because of coronavirus outbreak: official site,” Babak Dehghanpisheh, Reuters, March 9, 2020.

“Head of Iran’s disaster management contracts COVID-19,” Mustafa Melih Ahishali, AA, March 9, 2020.

“Iran announces 43 new coronavirus deaths, raising toll to 237,” AFP, March 9, 2020.

“Iran Has Far More Coronavirus Cases Than It Is Letting On,” Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, March 9, 2020.

“IranAir stops all flights to Europe: IRNA,” Reuters, March 8, 2020.

“In Defiance, People In Northern Iran Threaten To Close Roads To Prevent Coronavirus Influx,” Radio Farda, March 8, 2020.

This article is a reminder to me that, long after 2011, IRGC Commanders (this one named Dabirian, friend of Hezbollah’s Nasrallah, killed trying to retake the historic town of Palmyra) are fighting in Syria, part of the Shia Crescent, and are in a place where the media absolutely refused to admit for many, many months that Iran even had troops.  “Iran Revolutionary Guard commander reportedly killed in Syria,” Washington Times, AP, March 8, 2020.