Iran on Friday paraded disinfection vehicles, mobile hospitals and other medical equipment as it marked its national Army Day, to underscore the military's role in battling the coronavirus pandemic which has hit the country hard.
The country’s death toll from the outbreak rose by 89 in the past 24 hours to reach 4,958 on Friday, health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said on state TV.
The total number of cases of infection reached 79,494, of which 3,563 were in critical condition, he said.
The small "Defenders of the Homeland, Helpers of Health" parade, held at a training center before a group of commanders in face masks, was a far cry from the typical Army Day parades, which normally feature marching infantry, missiles, submarines and armored vehicles, with warplanes flying overhead, reported Reuters.
"Due to health and social protocols, it is not possible to hold a parade of soldiers ... The enemy now is hidden and doctors and nurses are at the frontlines of the battlefield," President Hassan Rouhani said in a message to soldiers, disseminated by state media.
Army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi thanked the more than 11,000 military medical staff who are fighting the coronavirus.
Iran is the region’s worst-hit country by the COVID-19 respiratory disease. A parliamentary report released earlier this week said the coronavirus death toll might be almost double the figures announced by the health ministry, and the number of infections eight to 10 times more.
Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi has warned that the infection could spread further in autumn.
