Iran accuses foreign media of using virus to 'discourage' voters

A low turnout was expected after thousands of candidates were disqualified

TEHRAN: Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday accused foreign media of trying to use a deadly outbreak of coronavirus in Iran to "discourage" people from voting in a general election.

"This negative propaganda began a few months ago and grew larger approaching the election and in the past two days, under the pretext of an illness and a virus, their media did not miss the slightest opportunity to discourage people from voting," said Khamenei.

"(Our enemies) are even opposed to any election by the Iranian people," the leader was quoted as saying on his official website.

Iranians voted in a parliamentary election on Friday, two days after an outbreak of the new coronavirus emerged in the country.

A low turnout had already been expected after a conservative-dominated electoral watchdog disqualified thousands of candidates, most of them moderates and reformists.

The COVID-19 outbreak has claimed the lives of five people in the Islamic republic since Wednesday.