Iran says coronavirus kills member of top clerical body
According to recent reports, Iran has announced that a member of its top clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, has died due to complications from the coronavirus.
The Assembly of Experts is a powerful body that is responsible for electing and supervising the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The body is composed of 88 clerics who are chosen by the Iranian people to serve six-year terms.
The deceased member of the Assembly of Experts was identified as Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Alavi Tabar, who was 75 years old at the time of his death. Tabar was a prominent cleric and a member of the Assembly of Experts since 2008.
Iran has been one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with over 1.5 million confirmed cases and over 60,000 deaths reported to date. The country's healthcare system has been severely strained due to the outbreak, and the government has been criticized for its handling of the crisis.
The death of Ayatollah Tabar is a significant loss for the Iranian clerical establishment, and it is likely to have significant implications for the country's political landscape.