How Iran Is Coping As COVID-19 Cases Surpass 18,000

09:44

March 19, 2020

An Iranian woman wearing a mask walks past a mural displaying her national flag in Tehran. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran is the third hardest-hit country when it comes to coronavirus, with more than 18,000 cases and more than 1,200 deaths. But World Health Organization officials say that real figures may be much higher.

Nick Pelham recently spent seven weeks in Iran after being arrested and detained there while reporting for the Economist. He was released before the pandemic but gained insight into how the regime copes with crises, and how the population reacts.

He joins host Robin Young to discuss the situation. Pelham wrote the article "Trapped in Iran" in the Economist 1843 Magazine.

This segment aired on March 19, 2020.

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