Coronavirus: Latest Iran officials to become infected or die
April 3, 2020, 3:23 pm

Coronavirus: Latest Iran officials to become infected or die

Several Iranian officials have tested positive for the new coronavirus and many others have died.

Iran's Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani is the latest Iranian official to test positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of regime officials with the virus to 14, according to reports by state media outlets Iran

Larijani was tested after showing respiratory symptoms then he was placed in quarantine and is undergoing treatment, the official IRNA news agency reported on Thursday.

At least 13 other Iranian officials have been confirmed to have the virus, according to state media.

Former Foreign Minister and advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in foreign affairs Ali Akbar Velayati has been infected with coronavirus, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported last month.

Tasnim added on Sunday that the 75-year-old has recovered from the virus.

Iran’s first Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri is another official who has been infected, according to a report by the semi-official Fars news agency on March 11.

Fars reported on the same day that Tourism Minister Ali Asghar Mounesan and member of the Expediency Council Mohammad Ali Iravani have also been infected with the coronavirus. Iravani is also a member of Supreme Leader Khamenei’s office.

The virus has also infected Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar, Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi, Minister of Industry Reza Rahmani, and former Justice Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi.

Several lawmakers have also been infected, including Mojtaba Zolnour, Zohreh Elahian, and Masoumeh Aghapour Alishahi.

Twenty-three out of 100 members of parliament who have been tested for coronavirus have the virus, the spokesman of the Iranian parliament's presiding board Asadollah Abbasi said on Tuesday.

Forty other members of parliament are suspected of having the virus, Abbasi added.

Former deputy speaker of parliament Mohammad Reza Khatami also tested positive for coronavirus, according to a report by Tasnim on Saturday.

A prominent figure in the reformist faction in Iran, Khatami was among supporters of the Islamic Revolution who occupied the US embassy in Tehran and took 52 US diplomats, hostage, in 1979.

Khatami was the deputy speaker of parliament from 2000 to 2004.

He is the younger brother of former president Mohammad Khatami.

Coronavirus has also killed at least 17 regime figures, including military commanders, clerics, and politicians.

Senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Nasser Shabani died from coronavirus, the IRGC said on March 13.

In an unusual admission, Shabani had explicitly said in August 2018 that the Iran-backed Houthi militia carried out Iran’s orders by attacking two Saudi tankers in Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

“We told the Yemenis to attack the two Saudi tankers, and they attacked,” Shabani was quoted as saying by several Iranian state media outlets.

Hossein Asadollahi, another senior IRGC commander, is suspected to have died from coronavirus.

Several state news agencies reported on Saturday that Asadollahi died of “chemical injuries” sustained during the eight-year-long war with Iraq (1980-1988).

Some Iranian exile run media outlets, however, reported that Asadollahi died of coronavirus.

According to official statistics, 150,000 in Iran have lung damage from exposure to chemical weapons during the war with Iraq.

These individuals are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus.

Iranian authorities organized a funeral procession for Asadollahi on March 23 which was attended by hundreds in Tehran, despite the capital being one of the worst-hit provinces by the coronavirus pandemic in Iran.

Habib Barzegari, a founding member of the IRGC, died of coronavirus, state media reported on March 24.

Ayatollah Hashem Bathaei-Golpaygani, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, also died from coronavirus, IRNA reported on March 16.

Iran’s Assembly of Experts is a clerical body that supervises, appoints and in theory, can sack the Supreme Leader.

Matthaei-Golpaygani had blamed the coronavirus outbreak on the US before his death.

“In my opinion, America is the source of coronavirus … American soldiers produced and spread the virus in China,” he said in a speech on February 22.

Former Iranian lawmaker Hamid Kahram also died from coronavirus, state media reported on March 19.

Karam was the head of current Iranian president Hassan Rouhani’s campaign in Khuzestan province during the 2017 presidential election.

Other notable confirmed deaths from the virus in the Iranian regime include former ambassador to Syria Hossein Sheikholeslam, former lawmaker Mohammadreza Rahchamani, lawmakers Fatemeh Rahbar and Mohammad Ali Ramezani, Expediency Council Mohammad Mirmohammadi, and former ambassador to the Vatican cleric Hadi Khosroshahi.

Several other regime figures have been infected and killed by coronavirus in Iran.

As of Thursday, 3,160 in Iran have died from coronavirus, and there are 50,468 confirmed cases. levant

source: Yaghoub Fazeli levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.