'Ideology more important than human lives'

Ideology was more important to the Iranian government than human lives, Zibakalam said. The University of Tehran professor was honored with the DW Freedom of Speech Award in 2018.  

After the Islamic Republic suddenly decided against their initial request for help from the organization Doctors without Borders (MSF), Zibakalam wrote on Twitter: "First the ideology, then the health and lives of the people. The fact that the political and ideological principles in Iran are above all else has been aptly demonstrated in the rejection of the MSF organization. Would the aid even have been rejected had it come from Russia?"

Rouhani government hesitant to take measures

The construction of a Corona clinic with the support of MSF was planned in the particularly hard hit region around Isfahan in central Iran. For Zibakalam, the reversal of the Iranian ministry of health came as no surprise: "It is precisely this behavior that is the best proof that nothing has changed in the basic ideological attitude, even with Corona. It is this constant hostile attitude towards the West that interprets every action in Iran as a disguised attempt at espionage or political influence. MSF came to help. No one takes responsibility for this short-sighted, irrational rejection. This shows the arrogance of the leadership, which strictly rejects any form of opening up to the world community."

Commenting on the wave of travelers at the start of the Iranian New Year holidays last week, Zibakalam said: "I myself am in quarantine and watching the tough measures that countries like Germany, France, Italy and China are taking to control the spread of the disease. Then I see that three to four million people in Iran are traveling without any restrictions. The government has reacted sluggishly and indifferently and is unable to fulfil its responsibility to protect the population." 

Leadership unlikely to change its attitude

Zibakalam sees the government around President Hassan Rouhani in its permanent confrontation with the hardliners further weakened by the Corona crisis: "The population has no longer confidence in the government and the willingness to cooperate with the government is no longer there."
"My prognosis for the near future is that we will bring between five and eight million people into economic distress and endanger their livelihoods," the political scientist said. "In the coming weeks, we will take the same steps as the other countries. This means another massive collapse of an already ailing economy. Therefore I see no light at the end of the tunnel for the Rouhani government."

Zibakalam also does not expect any easing of tensions in foreign policy: "Iran hopes that in view of the global pandemic and the devastating social conditions in the country, the sanctions will no longer be implemented with the previous consistency." However, the DW award winner considers a change of political course and an opening of the country unlikely: "Even an event like the Corona pandemic will not influence the fundamentalist attitude of the Iranian leadership."