Yesterday, Iran reviewed sterilization vehicles, mobile hospitals and other medical equipment at the National Day of the Army, to highlight the army's role in fighting the emerging Corona virus, which struck the country hard.
The small parade, "The Guardians of the Homeland, Safety Arms", was held at a training center in front of a group of leaders putting masks on their faces. The scene was far from the usual marches on the occasion of the National Day of the Army, in which infantry soldiers usually appear, marching with regular steps, rockets, submarines, and armored vehicles, while warplanes fly in the air.
"Because of the health and social protocols, it is not possible to organize the processions of the soldiers ... the enemy is now hidden, and the doctors and nurses are standing on the front lines of the battlefield," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a message to the soldiers, published by state media.
The army chief, Major-General Abdullah Mousavi, thanked more than 11,000 military medical workers who were fighting the emerging coronavirus.
The "Covid-19" disease, caused by the virus, struck Iran more strongly than anywhere else in the Middle East. The number of deaths according to official statistics increased to 4869, the day before yesterday, and a parliamentary report said that the actual number may be almost twice that number.